Originally Posted by BenA

(Apologies if this has been discussed, a brief search didn't turn up anything relevant)

Having worked with many international colleagues who relocated from outside the US to work here, I've noticed many of them adopt a westernized name to make it easier for Americans to pronounce. Sometimes, this is an English word that sounds like their native name - but often, it's just a western name they liked and picked at random ("Kevin").

While I would never encourage anyone to abandon their native identity, many folks I've asked about this have said they've found it immensely helpful in making their new colleagues more comfortable engaging with them.

I'm curious about the reverse of this phenomenon, as I know many FlyerTalkers are native Americans or Brits with Western names doing business in Asian markets like China, Japan, or Korea.

Do you translate your name into the local language when you do business - if so, for what country and language? How did you obtain your translation, and was it an accurate phonetic translation or simply a local name you liked? Do you use it on business cards and other correspondence? What would your advice be to others just getting started in your market?