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Steve Chalgren Joins Arena Solutions as Vice President of Product Management and Strategy

Chalgren brings more than 20 years in strategy, leadership and operational roles for product lifecycle management (PLM), software and manufacturing companies

Foster City, Calif., September 30, 2010 — Arena Solutions, a provider of on-demand bill of materials (BOM) and change management software for small and mid-size manufacturers, today announced the appointment of Steve Chalgren as the company’s new vice president of product management and strategy. Chalgren has more than 20 years of experience in strategy, operational and leadership roles for manufacturers and for companies that provide manufacturers with product lifecycle management (PLM) and other business software solutions. He brings deep domain expertise and a proven record of delivering tools that solve real problems to help manufacturers get quality products to market in a timely and cost-effective way. In his new role at Arena, Chalgren is responsible for setting product strategy, charting the product roadmap and leading the product team to develop easy-to-use solutions that help small and mid-size manufacturers succeed.

Chalgren comes to Arena from Oracle, where he worked after his previous company, Agile Software, was acquired. As director of product strategy for product lifecycle management (PLM) at Oracle, Chalgren helped the company successfully incorporate Agile PLM into its product portfolio. He also leveraged the platform, resources and reach of Oracle to deliver the Oracle Customer Needs Management solution to support manufacturers’ product innovation efforts. At Agile, as head of product management and customer care for the SME business unit, Chalgren developed a deep understanding of the business needs of small and mid-size manufacturers and turned it into several well-received new products. Before working in enterprise software, he spent nearly a decade in manufacturing supply chain operations, mainly for fast-growing technology start-ups. In these roles he gained an appreciation for the complexity of design-to-manufacturing processes and first-hand experience with the challenges faced by the people who participate in them.

“Steve is a tremendous addition to our executive team,” said Eric Larkin, chief technology officer of Arena Solutions. “What has struck me in talking to his past colleagues and customers is his reputation for delivering practical solutions that work for real companies — I don’t know of anyone in the industry who is more widely respected as a customer advocate. Steve’s deep knowledge of both manufacturing and software will be a tremendous asset as Arena continues to grow and expand its product offerings.”

“I was drawn to Arena for many reasons,” said Chalgren, “not least of which is the opportunity to provide manufacturers with the best possible tools to help them get quality products to market. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions like Arena offers are increasingly preferred (and even demanded) by small and mid-size manufacturers for their superior economic benefits and unique functional benefits. I’m excited to draw on my experience, leverage the SaaS platform and work with the talented team at Arena to help chart the course for the company’s next big steps forward.”

Chalgren holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

About Arena Solutions

For over a decade, Arena has been redefining PLM with a suite of cloud applications that enable engineering, manufacturing and their extended supply chains to work better together—from first prototype to full-scale production. Arena helps innovative manufacturers bring better products to market faster with cloud PLM offerings that speed prototyping, reduce scrap and help manufacturers collaborate on product changes with strategic partners across the globe.

Arena cloud PLM products simplify bill of materials (BOM) and change management, and offer manufacturers the right balance of flexibility and control—at every point in the product lifecycle. PartsList and PDXViewer are lightweight single-user applications that allow manufacturers to move quickly and efficiently while designing, documenting and sharing a prototype. When scaling to production and beyond, the Arena core application provides full PLM functionality so manufacturers can control revisions, manage the engineering change process and selectively share accurate, up-to-date BOMs with partners, suppliers and contract manufacturers.

Founded in February 2000, Arena Solutions is headquartered in Foster City, California.

To learn more about Arena Solutions:

Contact:

Michelle LaVery
Arena Solutions
media@arenasolutions.com
1.650.513.3567

Arena and Arena Solutions are trademarks of Arena Solutions, Inc., Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. All rights reserved. Other product and company names are the property of their respective holders.