Zotto moves over to WBT

WBT Systems, the Irish-owned, US-based supplier of Internet-based remote training systems has appointed a senior Compaq executive as its new president. Mr Peter Zotto will also join the company's board of directors.

No details of the deal which brought Mr Zotto to the firm were announced. Mr Zotto would not confirm whether the arrangements included a share of the company. He effectively took up his position at the end of September.

As president he will assume full responsibility for the company's operations and will report directly to the company's chief executive, Mr Paul Kenny. The market for Internet-based education services was growing rapidly and provided great opportunities, Mr Zotto said. He looked at the company and its products and decided to join.

The company was very upbeat about the appointment given the range of experience he will bring to WBT. He led the re-structuring and divestiture of Digital Equipment Corporations manufacturing business after its merger with Compaq and prior to that he had spent 22 years at Digital, holding a number of senior management positions.

Mr Zotto said that he would spend the next 30 or 40 days looking at WBT's customer base and pending deals. "My plan is to grow the company. My expectation is to build from within and hire from without," he said.

WBT developed a range of software products that manage the delivery of remote education services via the Internet. It was formed several years ago but has enjoyed very rapid growth and has sold its products to large organisations such as Dow Chemical, Bayer AG, First Union Bank and the State University of New York.

It claims 600 sites and two million users worldwide. It maintains sales and support services in the US, its major market, and has a Dublin base for software design, implementation and enhancement.

WBT Systems is online at: http:// www.wbtsystms.com