Resn - Newcomers give Wellington digital interactive edge
Wellington-based Resn, creative digital partner of leading brands and advertising agencies worldwide, needed to recruit flash developers and designers who are on the long term skills shortages list.
Resn has been proactively recruiting from overseas, successfully bringing in three migrants thus far.
Iain Shaw - Market Research Analyst from Scotland
Iain Shaw hails from Scotland and is employed by 4RF as a Market Research Analyst. He decided to settle in New Zealand because of the high quality of life, the outdoor activities available, and being from Scotland he finds the weather here a huge improvement!
Vincenzo Paparelle - Chef from Italy
It’s a case of second time lucky for Italian, Vincenzo Paparelle who works as chef at Soprano Ristorante restaurant on the Kapiti coast.
Annie Rastello - Project Manager from France
Annie Rastello is a Project Manager at 4RF. Originally from France, Annie moved to New Zealand from six years in the US because she was attracted by the fact that there are fewer people here than in many other English speaking countries.
Paul D’souza - Chef from India
Monsoon Poon is a restaurant located right in the heart of Wellington’s Courtenay Place cuisine precinct. One fifth of its workforce is migrants.
Mark Hussey - Emergency Doctor from The United Kingdom
Wellington's lifestyle and its people are unbeatable, according to UK-born emergency doctor Mark Hussey.
Cecile Diamante - IT Analyst from the Philippines
Wellington’s walkability and friendliness wowed Filipino IT analyst Cecile Diamante from her first moments in the city.
Professor Jeroen Douwes – Co-Director from the Netherlands
“This may come as a surprise to many Wellingtonians,” he says,“but I prefer the climate here with its mild winters.”
Petr Tobias – Anaesthetist from the Czech Republic
Its a long journey from the Czech Republic to Masterton, and for Petr Tobias, it was one that was a long time coming.
Carlos Zevallos –Beekeeper from Peru
It was the loud buzz of thousands of honey bees, music to a commercial apiarist ears which enticed Carlos Zevallos from his native Peru to the temperate shores of New Zealand.
Luca Fascione – Software engineer from Italy
It is not often that the Wellington wind gets good press so when Luca Fascione mentioned he loves the wind a further explanation was needed.
Ray and Diane Cherrell – diesel truck mechanic from UK
Ray and Diane Cherrell immigrated to New Zealand from Lincolnshire, England, in 2006. ‘We’d visited Auckland on holiday in 2002 –it rained every day but it didn’t put us off..”
A very unique place
Angela Ballantyne & Ryan Orange – academic & policy strategist, Kiwis returned.
After 10 years away, expatriates Ryan Orange and Angela Ballantyne were nervous that Wellington would not live up to their expectations on their return.
“We were a little worried that we had built up Wellington in our minds and that we might find it a bit small or provincial or underdone,” said Ryan, 33.
“But we haven’t found that at all.”
Ryan’s background is in strategic social policy. He has two Masters degrees from Oxford University, England, and worked for the eminent consulting firm McKinsey & Co in Melbourne, Adelaide and Auckland. He now works at the Ministry of Social Development.
Angela, 30, is an academic. She earned her PhD in bio-ethics at Monash University in Melbourne and did further work in London, and then Geneva for the World Health Organisation. Most recently she taught at Yale University in the US.
The couple returned to New Zealand in September 2008, and their daughter Scout was born in January 2009. They live in a house in Northland that they bought five years earlier.
“Wellington has changed in ten years. In 1999, when we left, there was no stadium, no Te Papa, no Cuba Street Carnival, no decent waterfront development. The city has gone from strength to strength.”
Their decision to return was a considered move, and they rejected a number of cities for Wellington.
“The distinctive thing about Wellington is that it combines being interesting and dynamic, a manageable size, and a capital city.
“London is interesting/dynamic and a capital city but is not a manageable size. Melbourne and Sydney are interesting/dynamic and close to being a manageable size but are not capital cities.”
Said Ryan: “For someone like me, being in the capital makes all the difference. Wellington is known as a social laboratory, where we try out new ideas. We are a world leader in all sorts of things. That creates a very unique environment.”
Settling back in has been surprisingly easy. “Logistics aside, it felt right. It felt good.”
They are enjoying renovating their house, having installed French doors to a deck and painted throughout. They have now started on the garden.
Each day Ryan walks to work through the Botanic Gardens. “The view of the harbour is spectacular. It’s just magic, really.”
Angela has not felt isolated being home with a new baby. “I’m only 10 minutes walk from the Northland shops – that’s too close for a decent walk – so I often stretch it out to the 25 minutes it takes to get to the Kelburn shops. And it’s still only a 30 minute walk to the central city.”
They compare their situation to New York friends who have also had a baby. “They have no Plunket equivalent, no public nurses who help you learn how to care for your baby. The mother was [effectively] left to her own devices. What they’ve done is hire a professional nanny!”
When ready to resume work, Angela is confident of picking it up in Wellington. “To the extent that any decisions will be made about bioethical issues, they are likely to occur here.”
On weekends, they love to explore the hills and nature reserves near their home. On Sundays, they often walk downtown for coffee and brunch at a café, pick up fresh supplies then return home to prepare a shared meal for friends or family.
“Big cities are exciting and dynamic but hard work. We find Wellington is the ideal size.”
Cynthia Patterson – CIO from United States
“We wanted to live in a more progressive-minded society. Australia was too much like a mini-US, Canada was too cold, but luckily New Zealand was perfect.”
Desi Ramoo – Scientist from United Kingdom
“I’ve been lucky but when you are moving your family from one side of the world to the other it is important to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into, make sure everything is in writing.... "
Thomas Kuhne – University lecturer from Germany
“Wellington is a fantastic city with very friendly, relaxed people. We love the natural scenery and the fact it isn’t crowded at all.”
Gilbert Sanseau – Software engineer from France
It takes a certain kind of person to find the south of France boring but luckily for Wellington that is exactly what Gilbert Sanseau and his partner found.
Jitendra Bothara – Seismic engineer from Nepal
Back in 1993 Jitendra Bothara was in Nepal working on an earthquake engineering project when he met two men who would change his life. Beca directors Dr Richard Sharpe and Rob Jury.
Kation Cai – Banking consultant from China
Seven years ago Kation Cai set out on an epic journey. His goal, to learn English. Spurred on by the competitive cost of living and study, the friendliness of New Zealanders and the breathtaking environment, Kation made the 11,000km journey from Guangdong to Wellington.
Heli Matileinen – Research scientist from Finland
Heli and her husband, Mika spent two years in California while Heli was doing post doctoral research in breast cancer targeting but despite the sunny climes, America wasn’t where they wanted to settle and they applied for residency in New Zealand.