# CLS Communication

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Swiss translation and writing services company

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CLS Communication Industry Writing, Editing, Translation Key people Doris Albisser, Founder[1] Pius Fellner, Country Manager[2] Number of employees about 100 in Switzerland Parent Lionbridge

**CLS Communication**, now named **[Lionbridge](/source/Lionbridge) Switzerland AG**, is a language [translation](/source/Translation), [editing](/source/Editing) and [writing](/source/Writing) services company based in [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland).[3] It has 19 offices on three continents, and serves the financial services, life sciences, telecommunications and legal industries.[4][5]

In November 2018, CLS Communication was renamed and is now called Lionbridge Switzerland AG.

As of 2020, the company employs approximately 20 in-house translators in Switzerland and has a network of 2,400 external partners. According to its website, as of 2011 CLS Communication has more than 900 clients.[6]

## History

CLS Communication was created in 1997 as a spin-off from Swiss Bank Corporation (now [UBS](/source/UBS)) and [Zurich Financial Services](/source/Zurich_Financial_Services). In 2002, the company in-sourced the translation teams of [Swisscom](/source/Swisscom) and Sunrise, Switzerland's two leading telecommunications companies, and the translation unit of the Raiffeisen banking group in Switzerland, setting up offices in [London](/source/London) and [New York](/source/New_York_City). It acquired London-based Richard Gray Financial Translations (RGFT) in 2004, and added offices in [Paris](/source/Paris) and [Madrid](/source/Madrid).[7] Offices in [Copenhagen](/source/Copenhagen), [Frankfurt](/source/Frankfurt) [Singapore](/source/Singapore), [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong), [Shanghai](/source/Shanghai) and [Beijing](/source/Beijing) were added. The firm also took over the language services teams of [Swiss Re](/source/Swiss_Re), Lombard Odier, and [Danske Bank](/source/Danske_Bank).

In 2003, CLS became fully independent through a management buyout. In 2009 it gained a new majority shareholder, the Swiss-based private equity fund Zurmont Madison, through a capital increase and a partial buyout of existing shareholders.[8] The firm then acquired the Canadian translation firm Lexi-tech International (formerly owned by [J.D. Irving](/source/J.D._Irving)), and the Danish Scandinavian Translators.

In January 2013, the firm acquired technical documentation translation specialist, 4-Text GmbH, a company based in Berlin, Germany employing over 60 permanent staff and 200 freelance translators.[9]

According to the report "The Language Services Market: 2013" by Donald A. DePalma and Vijayalaxmi Hegde, published by Common Sense Advisory, CLS Communication is the 11th largest global language service provider.[10]

Doris Albisser led CLS Communication as Group CEO for 16 years until August 2013, when she handed over operational management to her Group CFO and long-time deputy, Matthias Trümpy,[11] and assumed the Vice-Chairmanship of the Board of Directors. Under Doris Albisser's leadership, the company grew from an internal bank translation unit into one of the top ten global language service providers. The company now, has over 600 internal staff and a network of some 5,000 freelancers worldwide.

In January 2015, CLS Communication was acquired by [Lionbridge](/source/Lionbridge) Technologies, Inc., a global translation company based in [Waltham, Massachusetts](/source/Waltham%2C_Massachusetts).[12]

In July 2015, Matthias Trümpy handed over the CEO position to Tom Spel.

In July 2017, Markus Hacker took over from Tom Spel as General Manager for Central Europe.[13]

Pius Fellner took on the operational management of the Swiss business of Lionbridge and CLS Communication as of 1 September 2018.[14][15][16]

In November 2018, CLS Communication moved over to the Lionbridge name and brand.[17]

## Services

Besides the firm's core business in writing, editing and translating, it also has a [terminology](/source/Terminology) department that helps clients set up their own corporate dictionaries and organise their linguistic assets, and offers a [machine translation](/source/Machine_translation) tool.[18][19][20]

A niche area in which the firm operates is the European standard [Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities Directives](/source/Undertakings_for_Collective_Investment_in_Transferable_Securities_Directives) (UCITS IV), which aims to allow collective investment schemes to operate freely throughout the [European Union](/source/European_Union) on the basis of a single authorisation from one member state. CLS also translates [annual reports](/source/Annual_report) for companies.[21]

## Certifications

CLS Communication is [ISO 9001:2008](/source/ISO_9001%3A2008#Contents_of_ISO_9001) and DIN [EN 15038:2006](/source/EN_15038) certified.[22] A number of branches are certified in accordance with these standards.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [SEF-Interview mit Doris Albisser, CEO CLS](http://www.srf.ch/player/tv/eco/video/sef-interview-mit-doris-albisser-ceo-cls?id=479a050a-be0b-4a6f-bbfc-2cd3fa49d26f) ECO, Swiss TV (19 May 2011)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Pius Fellner new Country Head Switzerland for Lionbridge and CLS](https://www.cls-communication.com/en/news/pius-fellner-new-country-head) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180928161449/https://www.cls-communication.com/en/news/pius-fellner-new-country-head) 28 September 2018 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), CLS-Communication.com, Aug. 2018

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["CLS Communication AG: Private Company Information"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121015073705/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=61114962) *BusinessWeek*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Profile: CLS Communication](http://www.proz.com/profile/572766?sp_mode=corp_profile&summary=y) "Translation Company – finance, life science, pharmaceuticals, investment banking, securities, hedge funds, investment funds, equity market, bond market, investment research, investment banking, private banking, wealth management, financial planning, accounting, IFRS, contracts, litigation, swiss". Proz.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Across und CLS Communication kooperieren](http://www.across.net/de/across-cls.aspx) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120326214628/http://www.across.net/de/across-cls.aspx) 26 March 2012 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). Across.net.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Home – TAUS – Enabling better translation](http://www.translationautomation.com/members/cls-communication.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110819154643/http://www.translationautomation.com/members/cls-communication.html) 19 August 2011 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). Translationautomation.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Archived copy"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160923133802/https://www.cls-communication.com/sites/default/files/CLS_in_UNE_May2010.pdf) (PDF). Archived from [the original](https://cls-communication.com/sites/default/files/CLS_in_UNE_May2010.pdf) (PDF) on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2017.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_archived_copy_as_title))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Tagesüberblick – Wirtschaft](http://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/tagesueberblick-wirtschaft-83) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20111004094552/http://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/tagesueberblick-wirtschaft-83) 4 October 2011 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). handelszeitung.ch (13 July 2009).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Multilingual.com: CLS Communication acquires 4-Text GmbH](http://www.multilingual.com/newsDetail.php?id=8543)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["CSA Research > Data and Research for Global Business Professionals"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130730052343/http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com/AbstractView.aspx?ArticleID=5505). Archived from [the original](http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com/AbstractView.aspx?ArticleID=5505) on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["History and milestones - CLS Communication"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150923204851/http://www.cls-communication.com/en/about-cls/history). Archived from [the original](http://www.cls-communication.com/en/about-cls/history) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [PRNewswire.com: Lionbridge Completes Acquisition of CLS Communication, Jan. 8, 2015](http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lionbridge-completes-acquisition-of-cls-communication-300017668.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [Lionbridge ernennt neuen General Manager Central Europe](https://www.lionbridge.com/de-de/about/news/markus-hacker-general-manager-central-europe) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170905003652/https://www.lionbridge.com/de-de/about/news/markus-hacker-general-manager-central-europe) 5 September 2017 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Lionbridge.com, Sept. 2017

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** [Pius Fellner new Country Head Switzerland for Lionbridge and CLS](https://www.cls-communication.com/en/news/pius-fellner-new-country-head) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180928161449/https://www.cls-communication.com/en/news/pius-fellner-new-country-head) 28 September 2018 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), CLS-Communication.com, Aug. 2018

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** [Language Industry Hires, Slator.com, October 2018](https://slator.com/people-moves/language-industry-hires-at-apptek-cls-semantix-and-eriksen/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [New playing field for communication, Swiss Trade magazine, October 2018](http://swisstrademagazine.ch/article/new-playing-field-for-communication/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [Handelsregistereintragungen](https://sogc.ch/shabforms/servlet/Search?EID=7&DOCID=1004496104), Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce, Nov. 2018

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** [Einfacher Stil, kurze Sätze](https://cls-communication.com/sites/default/files/Fachartikel%20MT_0208.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171107030205/https://www.cls-communication.com/sites/default/files/Fachartikel%20MT_0208.pdf) 7 November 2017 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Produkt Global, January 2008

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** [Echtzeitübersetzung für den IT-Service](http://www.it-administrator.de/themen/kommunikation/fachartikel/242008.html), IT-Administrator, October 2017

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** [Klassische Dolmetscher statt stiller Post](https://meinungsbarometer.info/beitrag/Klassische-Dolmetscher-statt-Stiller-Post_2515.html), Meinungsbarometer.info, 28. September 2017

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** [Multilingual annual reports from a single source](https://cls-communication.com/sites/default/files/multilingual%20annual%20reports%20from%20a%20single%20source.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160322123621/https://www.cls-communication.com/sites/default/files/multilingual%20annual%20reports%20from%20a%20single%20source.pdf) 22 March 2016 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), ns»publish› INSIDE, January 2011

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["ISO 9001:2008 and EN 15038:2006 certified translator"](https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014919/https://www.cls-communication.com/en/about-cls/committed-quality). Archived from [the original](https://www.cls-communication.com/en/about-cls/committed-quality) on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.

## External links

- [Lionbridge website](https://www.lionbridge.com)

- [CLS 4-Text homepage](http://www.4-text.de/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130518071004/http://www.4-text.de/) 18 May 2013 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [CLS Communication](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CLS_Communication) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CLS_Communication?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.