While many of his beleaguered counterparts with software and Internet companies have been hiding under their desks as the roof caves in on their businesses, a cheerful Bill Arnett seems oblivious to the storm in the industry.

The rookie CEO sports a broad smile as he greets a visitor to the Calgary head office of Pangaea Systems Inc., a privately held and profitable Internet solutions provider with branch offices in Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria.

A relaxed Arnett even finds time to introduce his family, prominently displayed in a dozen or so photographs on his desktop.

The 46-year-old native of Sunderland, England, joined Pangaea last year, marking his first job heading an organization after a 24-year career that began in 1977 as a systems analyst with Coles & Cranes in the United Kingdom.

Shannon Oatway, Business Edge
CEO Bill Arnett likes to keep his eye on his company's business target.

1. What are your recollections of growing up in the industrial town of Sunderland in England?

“In Sunderland, they were very hard-working folks with very traditional values and it was a family- oriented city. That’s why I like Calgary so much. It’s very similar to my home town.”

2. Did you have to work to put yourself through university?

“I was the oldest of six kids and my dad (Bill) was a welder in the shipyard and my mom (Jude) didn’t work when we were young. My dad did what he could to help me get through university, but he couldn’t afford much. I put myself through university essentially, working as a computer operator, bartender, selling insurance and working in construction. What my parents did for me, you can never repay. They didn’t give me 100,000 pounds to go to university because they couldn’t.”

3. What motivated you to join Pangaea Systems last year after two years with FutureLink Distributions?

“When I met with Breton Thoen (Pangaea president and co-founder), I was excited by his vision . . . and the way he articulated the business plan. Frankly, a lot of the business plans I’d seen weren’t very good. And I really liked Breton. He’s an articulate man. So we chatted and I agreed to come on board. I’d also been working on more of the infrastructure side of the business, so it’s nice to get back into software. I looked at the solutions and thought they were top notch.”

4. Why did you leave your position as chief operating officer of the Canadian division of FutureLink last year?

“We didn’t part on bad terms or anything. They wanted me to move to California. And I said no. And they wanted me to move to Toronto. And I said no. I told them I wanted to stay and build my career here, particularly since I had two kids in school. I certainly wish the company well and I still have about 300,000 shares and options in FutureLink.”

5. Which of your previous jobs prepared you best for your current role?

“I think FutureLink, because that role really helped me understand how to grow an organization. There was a very rapid growth cycle with FutureLink and I think our target with Pangaea is to be at $30 million (revenue) by 2004 and then to get to $50 million and $100 million.

“When you’re growing like that, there are a lot of mistakes you can make but, if you have experience, there are a lot of things you can do right.”

6. What was it about Pangaea Systems that appealed to you?

“Pangaea got into the Internet business in 1994, almost before e-business was invented as a concept. They’ve been in the game probably longer than anybody in Western Canada and really have a track record, I think, that is second to none in Western Canada. That kind of fit is where I wanted to be in my life.”

7. One person who has had a major impact on your life?

“My wife, Cindy.”

8. Describe your business philosophy?

“You have to provide value for your customers. That is the key principle of how we do business here at Pangaea. We’re trying to build an organization that is focused on customer value, that provides an excellent working environment for our staff and also provides value for our shareholders so that we’re profitable.”

9. Is winning everything to you?

“It’s not everything, but we do want to win. We wouldn’t compromise the integrity of our company to win, but we do want to win.”

10. One lesson you’ve learned in business?

“The people who work the hardest win in the end. And I believe at Pangaea we not only develop great solutions, but we worker harder than anybody else at it. ”

11. How do you manage to balance business and personal life?

“Because my kids are older now, it’s a little easier. It’s a bit of a challenge, but nothing I can’t handle. I’ve been able to coach my son Tyler’s soccer team.”

12. You call in sick tomorrow. How do you spend the day?

“My wife and I would go golfing. We don’t get to spend five or six hours of uninterrupted time together very often. I also spend a lot of time with my granddaughter. My daughter’s a single parent, so I try to help her with the baby.”

13. If your home was on fire, what personal belongings must go with you? “The pictures of my mom and dad and my brothers and sisters. I’m a family-oriented type of guy. And I’d take my degree certificate from (the London School of Economics).”

14. How do you define success?

“In business terms, success is when you can create the kind of organization that provides value using the right business ethics and approach.”

15. God taps you on the shoulder and says you can change one thing.

“I would have gone back to England more often to see my family. Both my folks died from cancer in a relatively short period of time a few years ago. They used to come here and they loved coming here. When you’re in business and you’ve got kids, it’s tough to make time to go back and see them. If I had one regret, that would be it.”

16. The proudest moment in your life?

“I think when I saw my granddaughter for the first time.”

17. How do you see the workplace changing with technological advances?

“I think we’re going to learn to manage the virtual workplace better. I think one of the problems is that we don’t understand how to manage virtual workers. But I think we’re going to learn to get our heads around managing the virtual worker as a society and I think the end result will be an improvement in productivity in the workplace and an improvement in the quality of life for the workers.”

18. How do you see the dot-com world evolving?

“I think the dot-com companies are going to go back to business fundamentals. I compare it to the way the oil and gas industry used to operate. I think that the oil and gas industry learned a lesson and became much more prudent managers. I think the same will happen in the dot-com field with these companies learning to manage their companies better.”

19. What do you see in your life’s crystal ball?

“I’m going to take Pangaea forward and develop Pangaea into the leading e-business solutions provider in North America.”

20. What’s the time frame for that goal?

“We’ve kind of looked at a five-year horizon. I don’t think at that stage we’ll be number one, but we’ll be well on our way.”

IN PROFILE: Bill Arnett

* Born/raised/age: Sunderland, England; 46.

* Title: CEO, Pangaea Systems Inc.

* Family: Wife Cindy, children Bill, Sarah, Tyler and Robin.

* Education: London School of Economics, BSc Economics (honours), University of Calgary, CMA.

* Resume: Prior to joining Pangaea last year, Arnett was chief operating officer of the Canadian division of FutureLink Distribution. He has also worked with Sysgold, Numac Energy, Amoco Canada, Dome Petroleum, B.C. Hydro, Black & Decker (England) and Coles & Cranes (England).

* Passions: Coaching and playing soccer, golfing.

THE COMPANY: Pangaea

* Brass: Breton Thoen, president, co-founder; Bill Arnett, CEO.

* Profile: Pangaea Systems is a privately held company that works with businesses, government and other organizations to produce Internet solutions services, including Internet business solutions, application service provisions and Internet property development. The company, incorporated in 1993, has branch offices in Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria.

* Clients: City of Edmonton, Chimo Equipment, Alberta Ballet, Canada West RV, Goldline Curling Supplies & Apparel, Independent Jewelers, Virtual North, Alpine Health.

* Web site: www.pangaeainc.com

* Address: 200 Louise Block, 308 11th Ave. S.E.,Calgary, AB T2G 0Y2.

* Phone/Fax: 403-262-7888, 403-262-7889 (Edmonton, 780-426-3510, 780-423-5491).