Welcome to “Building Localization from Scratch”, the series where we speak to founding localization leaders about what it really takes to build localization departments from the ground up.
Our next interview is with Julio Leal, Head of Localization at Rover, an online community marketplace that allows you to book trusted and personalized pet care. In addition, Julio is Founder and Principal of mensatio, a boutique studio that helps brands grow internationally through expert localization, transcreation, and global marketing strategies.
A snapshot of Julio’s resumé
With over 20 years of experience under his belt, Julio’s career has spanned companies like Lionbridge, SAP, Ciena, Wayfair, and Spendesk. From founding programs from scratch at Ciena to scaling existing ones at Rover, he has been through it all. His journey offers a masterclass in transforming localization from a “support tactic” into a core pillar of international growth.
Aligning localization with corporate strategy
When Julio arrived at Rover, the foundations of the existing localization program were not solid enough to enable business growth. His diagnosis was simple: a localization program is not mature when there’s a gap between how the localization department measures success and growth and how the company measures success and growth. A mature localization department will align their success metrics with the business’s goals.
Many companies think of localization as a background administrative task or a subset of marketing. Julio argues that it should be treated as a strategic asset and a growth driver instead. The only way to do this is by making people across the company understand the value of localization. And the only way to do that is by tailoring your approach and metrics to align with theirs.
Localization is dependent on other departments
Julio put forward an interesting perspective: localization doesn’t drive value on its own. It is always dependent on something else, like marketing or product. He explains that localization doesn’t start by itself; it leans on content created by other departments. Therefore, the first thing a localization leader should ask themselves when joining a new company is “Why was I brought into the team?” At Rover, the answer was clear: they wanted to build a scalable and operationally efficient infrastructure that could turn localization into a primary engine for international expansion.
Julio’s 4-step framework for success
💡“I always say automate, automate, automate, and measure, measure, measure.”
Drawing from his experience building infrastructures with mensatio, Julio follows a consistent process to ensure localization isn’t just happening, but is succeeding.
Here is his 4-step framework:
1. The initial assessment.
Ask questions like:
- Why is localization here?
- Who needs it?
- Why do we need it?
- What is the end goal?
- Where do we want to be in [X] years?
2. Align objectives. Determine what success is for the company, and tie localization goals directly to it.
3. Automate ruthlessly. The only way to ensure the infrastructure is scalable is by streamlining workflows.
4. Measure what matters. Focus on business-impact metrics, not internal numbers.
Following the right benchmarks
Being a founding Localization Program Manager requires a lot of insights and experience. You need to figure a lot of things out yourself, because no one will tell you what to measure or what to do. Building a successful localization department is no different to building a small company. You need to measure its performance and progress alongside key business goals.
Following the right metrics is the best way to understand your growth and evolution. While things like 98% on-time deliveries and average cost of localization are great indicators of internal efficiency, this kind of operational data doesn’t resonate with stakeholders.
Instead, the wider business is interested in KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and metrics like revenue, clickthrough rate, conversion rate and customer lifetime value. These are more successful outside of the localization department because they “speak the language of the business”.
One of Rover’s business drivers is repeat customers. He demonstrates localization’s value by aligning priorities with those of the company. For example, a well-localized checkout page enhances user experience, prevents drop-offs, and secures long-term customer loyalty
Lessons in leadership: The cost of rushing
Every seasoned expert has had some hard lessons to learn along the way. Julio recalls a point in his career when he was swamped with work and desperately needed an extra pair of hands. Ignoring his manager’s advice (who believed they wouldn’t last the course), he hired candidates based on immediate availability rather than fit. A few months later, they dropped out, leaving him back at square one.
Today, his hiring philosophy is “DO NOT RUSH”. He now takes more time and brings in perspectives from outside the localization department to evaluate candidates for culture and skill fits. His advice?
💡“Set good expectations, set good metrics for success. Take your time to onboard them. If you need to spend 30% less time on your day-to-day stuff during this period, do it because it is worth it.
Thinking like a founder
Building a localization department is much like building a small company: it requires a founder’s mindset. You must define your own metrics, fight for your department’s strategic relevance, and constantly align your output with the broader company mission.
Inside the department, this means resisting the urge to rush hiring and instead focusing on finding the right culture fit while automating ruthlessly to ensure scalability. Outside the department, success depends on moving beyond internal operational data to embrace metrics that resonate with stakeholder language, such as conversion rates and customer lifetime value.
By aligning metrics and speaking the language of the business, localization leaders can finally cement their department’s importance and become the true architects of their company’s international growth.
This interview is the fourth in our “Building Localization from Scratch” series, where we sit down with 10 localization industry leaders to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to build a localization department from the ground up.
Every hard-won lesson, workflow, and strategy from the series is distilled into our White Paper: The Blueprint for Founding Localization Managers, a practical guide for localization leaders building their function from the ground up.
📢The White Paper launches in June 2026. Register your interest here, and we’ll send it straight to your inbox when it’s ready!