In 1987, after the departure of his first partner, Zarek brought in another: Cyril Baldachin, who became Compugen's chairman. Six months later, with a dozen people on the payroll, Zarek suggested that Cyril's son, Larry, come to work for them. Zarek liked Larry's combination of I.S. background and sales drive. (In fact, the younger Baldachin had neither to any large extent: an arts graduate, he became an I.S. manager because, "when you graduate with an arts degree, you pretty well have to take whatever's out there.") Thrilled to get the job -- and still enthusiastic about it -- Larry still has Harry's letter of offer, dated July 1987. He was promoted to COO in 1996 and, starting Jan. 1, 1999, will head up Compugen Professional Services Group, located in downtown Toronto (see News, page 13). An intense man whom Zarek describes as "very passionate, tremendous energy, very creative, hard driving, tenacious, with a tremendous focus on customer satisfaction and building strong customer relationships," Larry is worried about making the new business pay for itself, but perhaps not as worried as he is about bonding with his eight-week-old daughter. "I get home and the baby's already tired and cranky. We look at each other and she looks at me and starts to yell and scream. I hand her back."