Talvi Laev

Talvi Laev has a diverse work history spanning over three decades. Talvi currently holds the position of Chief, English Language Unit at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, a role they have held since February 2016. In this position, they manage a team of editors, translators, and support staff, providing documentation and related services for various clients including UNEP, UN-Habitat, and environmental conventions.

Prior to their current role, Talvi worked at the United Nations in various capacities. From 2002 to 2010, they served as a Translator/Reviser in the UNOG English Translation Section, where they translated human rights and parliamentary documentation from multiple languages, trained and coached junior staff, and contributed to the development of UN proprietary translation and terminology tools. Talvi also oversaw the development of outreach materials to promote UN language professions in 2015.

Talvi also had experiences outside the United Nations. Talvi worked as a Senior Development Editor at Bedford/St. Martin's from 1992 to 2002, where they developed complex textbooks and coordinated ancillary programs. Prior to that, they were a Project Editor at Praeger Publishers from 1990 to 1992, overseeing the production of multiple titles annually. Talvi began their career as a Copy Editor at Warren, Gorham & Lamont in 1989.

In addition, Talvi has held editorial roles at Nordic Press, where they served as a Managing Editor from 1988 to 1989, and as a Freelance Writer and Editor from 1986 to 1988. Talvi gained translation experience at the United States Information Agency from 1984 to 1986.

Throughout their career, Talvi has demonstrated strong leadership, editing, and translation skills, contributing to the success of various organizations and projects.

Talvi Laev has a diverse educational background in various fields. They started as a visiting student at the University of Helsinki, specializing in Finnish and related languages. Subsequently, they pursued a Bachelor's Degree in Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from the University of Chicago. After that, Talvi attended Hunter College to obtain a Master's Degree in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor. Later, they pursued a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) at the International University in Geneva.

In addition to their formal education, Talvi has also obtained several certifications. They hold the C.1 Estonian proficiency exam certificate, which is the highest available exam level, awarded by the Estonian Government in April 2023. Likewise, they possess the DELF B.2 French proficiency exam certificate, granted by the French Ministry of Education in March 2022. Talvi is also certified as a French-to-English translator by the American Translators Association, although specific details regarding the exact date of obtaining the certification are not provided.