Driven by her passion for language, Vigdis Eriksen founded Eriksen Translations in 1986 and grew the company into one of the nation’s top language services providers.

Born in Norway, Vigdis studied English, French, Dutch, and German, along with her native Norwegian. She moved to New York in her 20s to pursue theater, but changed direction to work as a freelance translator. Recognizing the early potential of what would one day become a thriving industry, Vigdis launched her business, Eriksen Translations. Today, she guides the company’s strategic vision and oversees daily operations.

Vigdis is a member of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), the American Translators Association, the Globalization & Localization Association, and the New York Circle of Translators. In 2014, she was honored as an International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge awardee at the organization’s annual conference in Stockholm, Sweden. Vigdis has been on the Inc. 5,000 list for six years, has won thirteen Women Presidents’ Educational Organization Done Deals Challenge awards, as well as a Business Owner’s Council award for Best Company Culture.

Under Vigdis’ leadership, Eriksen Translations is certified as a woman-owned business enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the City and State of New York.

A tireless advocate for the protection of linguists, Vigdis is a founding board member and chair of Red T, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of translators and interpreters working in conflict zones. In her not-so-spare time, Vigdis enjoys travel, the arts, and the innumerable pleasures of life in New York City.