Case study: Annual report translation for an Italian banking group

In this case study, we explain how we managed the English translation of the annual report of an Italian banking group in a context of the extremely tight deadlines typical of annual reporting publication cycles.

The client

The client is a publicly listed Italian banking group operating in corporate finance and lending services. The company required the English translation of its annual report as of December 31, 2024, including the sustainability reporting section.

The objective was to ensure an output fully compliant with the transparency and reporting requirements applicable to listed companies, while maintaining terminological consistency with previous years’ reports and using language appropriate for communication with international stakeholders and investors.

The challenge

The project involved managing a highly complex document combining financial, regulatory, and sustainability-related content, each characterized by different specialized terminologies.

The primary challenge concerned the extremely tight deadlines typical of annual report approval and publication cycles, requiring rigorous and coordinated management of every stage of the process.

Additional operational and linguistic requirements included:

• maximum terminological and legal accuracy within a highly regulated financial environment;
• consistency with previous years’ documentation, which had been consolidated over time;
• integration of financial reporting and sustainability (ESG) reporting, involving diverse, highly specialized terminology;
• management of last-minute updates during the final stages of the project, requiring rapid implementation without compromising the overall consistency of the document.

The solution

To meet these requirements, we applied our established methodology for translating complex financial documentation:

• a client-approved terminology glossary developed and refined over several years;
• a dedicated team of linguists with extensive knowledge of both the client and the document, working on the project on an ongoing basis;
• linguistic reviewers with specific expertise in the financial and economic sector;
• precise coordination between translation and review phases to ensure compliance with publication deadlines;
• accurate implementation of last-minute revisions and updates while maintaining full consistency throughout the document.

The results

The project was completed fully within the annual report publication timeline, ensuring:

• terminological consistency with previous editions;
• a high level of linguistic and financial accuracy;
• a smooth review process, facilitated by the team’s in-depth knowledge of both the client and the document.

What this project demonstrates

This project highlights the importance of a structured approach to translating complex financial documentation, particularly when regulatory requirements and strict deadlines are involved.

The continuity of a dedicated team, long-established terminology management practices, and the ability to rapidly incorporate last-minute changes ensured an output consistently aligned with the client’s requirements, even during the most critical phases of the project.

The long-standing partnership and annual renewal of the engagement reflect a relationship built on operational excellence: consistent on-time delivery, linguistic consistency across financial documentation, and effective management of the complexity peaks typical of annual reporting cycles.