FFJ employer focus: IBM
Alison Penn explains how FFJ partner IBM supports her as a military spouse. 
Where are you currently based?
I live in Dhekelia Station which is one of the two Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) of Cyprus, with my husband and our two dogs. My husband came over in July 2017 as OC HQ Company for the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian (The Poachers) and I joined him in the August. Since then, he has covered other roles and is now OC HQ Company for the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian (The Vikings).
What is it like living there?
In the beginning I found it very strange as this is the first military base I have lived on. I am very thankful that I am fortunate to work full-time for a company I love working for.
What role do you do for IBM?
I working for the IBM Cloud Expert Labs Team and am just moving back into a full-time Product Manager role. I absolutely love being part of this worldwide team. I get to work with so many amazing people day to day. I would recommend the company to anyone.
My day can start with an early Cyprus time interlock call with Melbourne, later calls with the teams across Europe and later discussions with the US/Canada teams. I love to span the time zones as in between it allows me to walk the dogs and focus on my health/welfare needs.
Did you always plan to go to Cyprus with your husband?
No, this was never the plan. I always knew he would be moving to Cyprus in 2017. He had been deployed there for two years in 2011 so we had experienced separation for an extended period before. In the UK he lived on the base during the week, and I lived in our own home.
Is there anything other staff did that made you feel supported?
I have never not felt supported. Everyone has been amazing. Very few people talk to me about time zones. We are a global company and remote working has been taking place for decades.
Living on a military base has its challenges but I don't feel I have been impacted or marginalised. I feel comfortable and supported all the time.
Overall, how do you feel IBM has supported your family in moving with the military?
I am very thankful for the all the support. If I had not had this support and flexibility, I would have been forced to suspend my career or leave IBM. I believe IBM could not have supported us any more than it did.