Name:David Halstead
From: Southport, UK

David's four-year run in Bulgaria comes to a close today. Working for the Raiffeisen Bank, he's enjoyed the time he's been able to spend in the country, and the people he's worked with. Although his next assignment takes him to Bosnia, he's not quite finished with Bulgaria yet.

When it comes to working abroad, David Halstead has cornered the market.

Since leaving the UK in the late 1960s, he has spread himself across the world, working for banks in places like Bermuda, Hong Kong, India, and Hungary.

He made the decision to leave the UK back then because the banks were beginning to amalgamate. "There were too many people in too many offices," he said, recognizing that it would be difficult to move up the financial ladder in that climate.

In September 1997, he made his way to Bulgaria to assume the position of executive general manager for Raiffeisen Bank. David handles the administrative side of the institution, making sure the "engine room" of the bank runs smoothly.

Raiffeisen is an Austrian bank which began an aggressive expansion into Eastern Europe about 16 years ago, explained David. They have most recently set up in Belgrade and Bosnia, and have obtained a fair measure of success in Bulgaria. "It opened at the beginning of 1995 and has moved from a dozen staff to 310," he said, adding they have expanded to eight offices in the country. "We've been reasonably successful - we're becoming well-known."

And after his extensive travels, arrival in Bulgaria reminded David of another country he had spent time in. "I compared it to India from the point of view that it looked similar to parts of Bombay," he said. "But it was clearly different.

"It has a rundown appearance, which is beginning to change."

Since he began his work here, he has been amazed by the quality of the employees at the bank. "There are excellent people working for us, very able people. I've seen them move into senior staff in the head office in Vienna - that's indicative of the people we have," he said.

Although his work has prevented him from travelling as much as he would like, David has made some excursions throughout the country. "I particularly liked Bansko," he said. "And Veliko Turnovo - there's an old fort that's absolutely huge. The whole history of Bulgaria is very interesting."

He hasn't managed to pick up much of the language, however, but it's never proven problematic for him. "I manage to get around in the shops, and read Bulgarian if I need to."

He's never had to worry too much about conversing with taxi drivers, as he usually makes his way through the city in a company car. This, of course, raises the issue of the police. "Yes, they do stop you, but it's never been a problem - most are courteous. And sometimes you do break the law," he said, adding that traffic signs aren't always as well placed as they could be.

As David points out that he has spent the majority of his professional life outside of his country of origin, he doesn't find himself missing the UK too much. "I'm in the relatively lucky position that I'm able to go back on a regular basis," he said. And because he is so far removed from the UK work environment, he always associates heading home with vacation time.

"There's nothing I really miss - I'm at home wherever I am overseas."

This attitude has proven especially useful to David, given the frequency with which he moves from country to country. "Most companies don't want to employ someone who arrives thinking `what am I doing here?'" he said. "They want people who hit the ground running."

David plans to hit the ground running in Bosnia next week, as today is his last day of work in Bulgaria. Raiffeisen recently decided that David's skills would be of most use to the organization in the office which just opened in Bosnia. Although he welcomes the new challenge, he hasn't grown tired of Bulgaria yet, and plans on maintaining his apartment here.

"You become accustomed to a place - the country and the people," he said. "Like it or not, virtually every human resists change. In real terms, Bulgaria is an easy place to settle into."

Although David's been in the banking business for a long time, he's not ready to call it quits quite yet. "I'll probably work for another seven to 10 years," he said. "I don't want to work forever, though. I think those who do are terribly boring - there's so many other things to do."

One of these things would be to spend more time with his wife and four children. She presently works on cruise ships in the UK and their differing schedules can't help but come between them. "You get used to being apart," said David, adding he was looking forward to Christmas, when they would next be together.

But in the meantime, he's content to move where the organization needs him most. "I've become used to moving, it would be difficult not to do it," he said.

"It's part of my life."