MIREMS is a team of around 40 professionals with a wide range of skills: writing and editing, multilingual translation, journalism, research and analysis, marketing, and communications who track ethnic media (Web, print, radio, and TV stations in languages other than English and French) from Canada and abroad.
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Andrés Machalski
President and Chair of the Board With MIREMS and precursor ventures: 32 years Languages: Spanish Andrés Machalski was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina of Anglo-Polish parents, and came to Canada as a refugee in the late 1970s due to a constitutional aversion to military dictatorships. He is a UofT graduate in Linguistics and Fine Arts, an adventure that took him twelve years to complete while he worked as public relations professional in the book industry for the likes of Bantam Books, for whom he hosted Sophia Loren's first Toronto visit, as well as helping promote a collection of ethnic community histories sponsored by Canadian Heritage. The ethnic media relations forged during that period led to the foundation of Ethnomedia Monitor Services and the publication of a Canadian Ethnic Media Guide. Thirty-two years later that company is now MIREMS – Multilingual International Research and Ethnic Media Services, the only Government of Canada recognized ethnic media monitoring service. Andrés is a science fiction fan, a lapsed painter, sails a 24 foot sloop, rides a folding e-bike with 4 inch tires in Toronto and a chopper style e-trike in South Florida, where he hopes once again to spend winters. He has no intention of retiring any time soon. |
Blythe Irwin
Sources and Marketing Director With MIREMS since 2015 Languages: Spanish In her current role as Sources Director, Blythe oversees MIREMS’ extensive multilingual media list in over 30 languages as well as a team of over 50 consultants. She also helps to manage the company's day-to-day operations and assists with sales and marketing. She speaks Spanish as a second language following 20 years of study, including two university degrees in Spanish and study abroad trips to Spain, Costa Rica and Mexico. Blythe was born in London, Ontario, and grew up in Syracuse, NY and Columbus, OH before moving to Vancouver, BC. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a Master of Arts in Translation Studies with a specialization in Spanish from the University of Portsmouth. Having played competitive soccer through university, Blythe now enjoys reading and travelling, as well as various athletic activities such as dance classes, snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking BC’s mountains and going to the gym. |
Lucas de Oliveira Haag
Senior Portuguese Consultant With MIREMS since 2014 Besides monitoring Portuguese language sources, Lucas occasionally monitors sources in other languages such as French and Spanish. Born in Brazil, he is Canadian citizen with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and twelve years of experience in language teaching. Language and culture are some of his passions and he feels very comfortable working in a diverse, multi-cultural team. He currently lives in Vancouver and his favorite past-times include swimming, travelling and spending time with family and friends. |
Silke Reichrath
Editor in Chief With MIREMS since May 2012 Languages: Spanish, German, French Silke Reichrath was born in Germany and came to Canada as an international student in 1993. She holds a BA in French and Spanish from the University of Calgary and an MA in International Affairs from Carleton University. She lives in Ottawa, is part of the management team and sends out the morning reports. Otherwise, her kids and cats keep her busy, and she enjoys swimming, hiking and kayaking. |
Kinga Romanska
Polish Consultant With MIREMS since 2018 Kinga was born and raised in Poland, her family moved to Germany when she was a teenager before then immigrating to Canada. She studied International Relations, European Studies and Business German at the University of Toronto. Kinga has 15 years experience in the financial industry with the focus on online initiatives and marketing, and is a former online strategy manager. She enjoys the flexibility of this job and loves the fact that it combines her interest in reading, culture, current affairs and Polish in particular. |
Emily Guccione
Senior Italian Consultant Other roles: Senior Editor With MIREMS since 1990 Emily currently works as an Italian language consultant, having previously monitored Portuguese and French sources. Currently living in Toronto, Emily holds a Bachelor’s degree in French Language. She plays the flute and badminton, and likes to contribute to Quora on subjects of her choice such as whether Canada is more British or American. |
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Soula Kokotinis
Senior Greek Consultant Other roles: Editor, Researcher With MIREMS since 2013 Soula is an ATIO certified translator from French and Greek into English and works for a variety of public and private sector clients. She used to work as a project manager in the financial services industry prior to focusing on translation. She is passionate about languages and holds an Honours BA in Translation and an MA in Translation Studies from York University. Soula enjoys reading, spending time outdoors with her family and is looking forward to travelling again soon. |
Marina Bogdanova
Senior Russian Consultant With MIREMS since 2013 Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, Marina holds a Master’s degree in English Language, Literature and Translation, obtaining the qualification of “Linguist, Teacher and Translator of English and Russian Languages” from the University of St. Petersburg. She is an experienced Russian as a Second Language instructor, as well as a Russian to English and English to Russian language translator. Marina has extensive linguistic, pedagogical and cross-cultural training. Besides monitoring Russian sources, she also does translations at the request of MIREMS’ clients. Currently living in McLean, Virginia in the United States, her personal interests include reading, learning about different cultures, art, travel and sports. |
Filip Merdinian
Bulgarian, Serbian and Croatian Consultant With MIREMS since 2017 A native of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where he currently resides with his family, Filip holds an MA in Applied Translation Studies, but his interests lie in current affairs and international relations. He has been involved in volunteer work for Human Rights Watch in the past. His current leisure pursuits include sports and travelling. |
Aleksandrs Sisovs (Aleks)
Russian and Latvian Consultant With MIREMS since 2017 Currently living in Riga, Latvia, Aleks holds an MA in Political Science from Central European University. He previously worked at an educational institution in Latvia that provided holistic non-subject specific extracurricular education for school children. He has also been working with a Latvian non-profit that aims to promote tolerance and cross-cultural communication. His hobbies include mountain biking and beach volleyball. |
Marielle Francisco
Tagalog Consultant
Other roles: Social Media Coordinator
With MIREMS since 2019
Marielle speaks Tagalog and monitors Filipino sources. Currently living in Toronto, she recently completed a Master of Arts in Psychology at Adler University. She has worked in the customer service and technology industry for nearly 10 years.
In her free time, she loves to travel. She’s also a content creator who specializes in lifestyle and travel, primarily based on Instagram. She loves driving fast cars and eating pasta.
Tagalog Consultant
Other roles: Social Media Coordinator
With MIREMS since 2019
Marielle speaks Tagalog and monitors Filipino sources. Currently living in Toronto, she recently completed a Master of Arts in Psychology at Adler University. She has worked in the customer service and technology industry for nearly 10 years.
In her free time, she loves to travel. She’s also a content creator who specializes in lifestyle and travel, primarily based on Instagram. She loves driving fast cars and eating pasta.
Julia W.
Accounting Director and Treasurer
With MIREMS since 2011
Accounting Director and Treasurer
With MIREMS since 2011