“The people here are so friendly and open-minded. It’s a great place to live and work.”
Werner Hulsmann, AMS Application Centre Manager, IBM, Ballarat

"When IBM moved to Ballarat, I thought it would be a smart move to join them.

Six years ago we did exactly that. But it wasn’t the job alone that made us reach the decision. The move had to be right for all the family. We were settled in Frankston. When you come from overseas, another new start is a big thing.

My wife Ingrid was the one who finally made up our minds for us. As a little girl, she always had a dream that one day she would look out of her kitchen window and see a horse. Ballarat was perfect for that!

As for our fears of the unknown, we needn’t have worried. We immediately felt at home in Ballarat. The people here are so friendly and open-minded. It’s a great place to live and work. There’s a real sense of community and we feel very proud to be part of it.

I’m glad we made it happen and got the horse.

We just couldn’t have done it in Melbourne."