Lola Bendana has a degree in international relations with a specialization in Latin American Studies and English-Spanish interpreting and translation. She worked in Costa Rica as a cultural/foreign affairs facilitator with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as head of international relations with the Nicaraguan Committee for Refugees.

After immigrating to Canada, she worked as a freelancer for the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada offering pre-departure and intercultural effectiveness courses on Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

For over 30 years, Lola has been involved in revolutionizing the language industry. She has been an industry leader in providing high quality Translation & Interpreting Services.

She has published books and numerous articles about interpreting and translation. 

She has been member of the Board of Directors and lead committees of multiple associations:  the Healthcare Interpretation Network (HIN), the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) , the International Network on Terminology (TermNet), FIT North America representing IMIA, National and International committees on standards where she led the project to create the National Standards of Canada for Community Interpreting (NSGCIS); was an expert delegate for the creation of the Canadian National Translation Service Standards CAN CGSB 131.10 in 2008, its reaffirmation in 2017 and the current revision going on since 2021.

In 2007 she won the Language Industry Association (AILIA) National Award for Outstanding Contribution to the translation sector.

More specifically, she served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Interpretation Network (HIN), she chaired the Terminology Committee and the Policy Committee where she led the project to create the National Standards of Canada for Community Interpreting (NSGCIS); she participated in the Critical Link Canada Standards of Practice and Training Committee; she was invited to join the Language Interpretation Training Curriculum Advisory Committee headed by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship (MCI) in collaboration with College Connect; she was selected as a voting member of the technical Committee of the Canadian General Standards Board that created the Canadian National Translation Service Standards CAN CGSB 131.10-2008; she was voted as Canada’s representative of the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA).  Lola served on the IMIA Executive Board 2009-2014 where she served as the President of the IMIA for the last 4 years and as delegate to FIT North America (2012-2014). She was the Chair of the Language Industry Association of Canada (AILIA) Translation Committee and member of the Interpreting Committee. She was a member of the ASTM F43 Committee on Language Services and the Canadian Council on Community Interpreting (CCCI). In 2013-2014 she was a member of the Board of Directors of the International Network on Terminology TermNet.

Lola published a book in collaboration with Dr. Alan Melby “Almost Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Translation” and a book in collaboration with Professor Helen Campbell “How to get it right when contracting Conference Interpreting services”.

Presently (2024) Lola:

• Is a member of the Board of Directors and Past-President of the Canadian Language Industry Association of Canada  CLIA (Former AILIA) where she serves as Chair of the CLIA Advisory Board.
• Has been a member of the Canadian Advisory Committee to ISO TC37 SC 5 since 2007 where she participates as an expert delegate to create international standards for translation and interpreting.
• Is a member of the Board of Directors and Past-President of the Ontario Council on Community Interpreting (OCCI).
• Is an Advisor to the Language Access Coalition of Canada 

• Is an expert member of the Canadian General Standards Board – CGSB 131.10 Technical Committee and working group working on the revision of the Canadian Translation Standard where she sits as Acting Chair for the group.

   

• Lola has a passion for psychology and personal empowerment, completed the Robert Holden Coaching Success Certification, the Neuro Strategies Core and Applied Certification Training, is a Trainer with the Anthony Robbins organization and Member of the Board of Directors of the Toronto Power Group. Lola facilitates workshops about Building Strong Teams, Time Mastery and Self Care among other topics. Lola is a published author of the Chicken Soup for The Soul: “Time to Thrive.”