(CNS Business): A young Caymanian’s rising career in the IT sector is gaining an international perspective working in Hong Kong. Having initially moved to Walkers' Hong Kong office as an application support technician in 2011, Peter Jurgens flourished in his new surroundings and was promoted to senior network administrator in January 2012, Walkers said as the firm announced that he will remain there for a further two years. Noting that opportunities for young Caymanian staff to work in overseas offices was an important part of an individual's professional development, a release from Walkers pointed to widespread benefits for both Jurgens and for the firm as he advances up the career ladder.

"We had been very keen to place a member of staff from the Cayman office in Hong Kong to bolster our on-the-ground IT support," said David Smailes, Chief Information & Technology Officer with Walkers. "Additionally, we wanted to provide an opportunity for Peter to develop professionally, being exposed to a new culture and a wider array of tasks. The firm also benefits from investing in staff in this way, as employees can broaden their horizons and improve their cultural understanding of the law business."

As the primary IT support personnel for the Asia region, Jurgens has taken on considerable responsibility with this transfer to Hong Kong. He said the experience of a different culture has helped him develop professionally and has added depth to his understanding of the nuances in business and his personal relations with other staff members.

"Professional development was certainly my main goal in relocating to Hong Kong with Walkers," Jurgens said. "Working in Asia, I have greater exposure to a broader range of IT functions, such as establishing and maintaining vendor relationships, meeting with service providers to ensure subscriptions meet business requirements, responsibility for monitoring and maintaining the data centre and ensuring that all equipment meets the requirements specified by the group technology architect. Overall, the additional responsibilities I have taken on have broadened my experience and knowledge in both the technical and business sides of the Information technology field."

Making the most of his time in Asia, Jurgens has already travelled to many exotic locations in the region, including Singapore, Thailand, Australia and Macau for the Formula Three Grand Prix. He has been able to further indulge his passion for action sports by going wakeboarding in Tai Po, which is in the New Territories region of Hong Kong and go-kart racing in Macau.

"Socially Hong Kong is an extremely diverse and multicultural place to live so I have made lots of friends from many different parts of the world, including other Caymanians who have relocated to Hong Kong as well," Jurgens added.

Jurgens is not the only Caymanian to have been making waves overseas with Walkers. Venesha McLean, who was recently admitted as an attorney-at-law in the Cayman Islands with Walkers, spent two years working in the firm's Hong Kong office from July 2008 in her previous position as a Senior Corporate Administrator with Walkers Corporate Services. When Venesha moved back to Cayman, she was replaced by Team Leader Perry Levy, who spent 18-months in Hong Kong with Walkers Corporate Services.

"We are obviously delighted that Peter is progressing so well with the firm in Hong Kong and very pleased that he is extending his stay in such a dynamic and vibrant city," commented Diarmad Murray, Global Managing Partner with Walkers. "Sending our local staff members to work in our overseas offices demonstrates Walkers' commitment to investing in their personal development, while at the same time gaining multi-jurisdictional experience which in turn helps us to provide the best service possible to our clients."