Who would you like to have a one-to-one with?" This was the question once put to the British public by a UK telecommunications company. Popular responses were legends like Elvis Presley, Bill Gates or Neil Armstrong.

No one expected that "having a one-to-one" would develop into a catch phrase for disgruntled employees...the person they'd like to have a one-to-one with would be their boss.

Employees the world over gather at the water cooler and complain about the same phenomenon: the management doesn't listen to us.

It's a truly progressive manager that likes to listen to his employees.

When Stanley Wright took over as general manager of Mobility, the largest Bermuda cellular phone company, one of the first things he did was to interview each of the 23 staff members.

"I wanted to get their feeling about what needed to change in the company and what they thought about me."

It was a positive way to start off the new work relationships: "I don't think we've looked back since."

To the outsider, taking on the top job at Mobility seems an unusual move for Mr. Wright, a former banker.

Having worked at the Bank of Bermuda for many years, he says he decided to leave the finance world behind and try something new: "I was really convinced that I needed a change. If I stayed within the financial world the change would be merely geographical."

Asked whether moving to an international company might have been a bigger contrast, Mr. Wright agrees that there remain differences in the work culture of Bermudian and international companies:

"But the gap is narrowing. There's no question."

At Mobility they are considering bringing in changes to the compensation model on the sales side. Performance based commissions, a relatively new concept for Bermudian companies could have a significant effect on work culture.

Mr. Wright says that the local consumer has become more sophisticated and local companies are having to meet their expectations: "Bermudians are travelling more, so the demands of the local market are getting higher."

Even in a small place like Bermuda, people expect world beating standards of telecommunications.

"The launch that we've done with GSM makes us one of the most sophisticated services in the world. "

When he came on board three years ago, Mr. Wright reviewed the company from top to bottom, "Even down to corporate sponsorship." The focus was on whether Mobility had the right technology. "It became evident that we needed to change."

They were the first to launch full GPRS GSM services last year and more services will be launched shortly allowing phones to perform a whole host of new functions such as receiving photographs and internet access.

"Not everyone will want e-mail to their phone, but it will be attractive to businesses to be able to have wireless adapters for lap tops."

Mr. Wright says that keeping up with developments in wireless technology is a constantly moving target; just one of the many challenges he has had to meet in the past couple of years. No wonder he says that this is "not a nine to five job."

Having first had to get to grips with an entirely new industry, and a very fluid one at that, Mr. Wright had to see BTCMobility through the transition from having a monopoly to having two competitors.

"The biggest challenge other than learning the business was to come to terms with competition. We're not the only game in town any more."

He says that the way they did that was by putting everyone, including the technical staff, through customer service training.

"Service is good today but we still have a way to go."

Initially part of a group not renowned for putting the customer first, it also became apparent that the company might benefit from re-branding.

Last November they struck out on their own, dropping the BTC prefix.

They remain part of the Keytech group and there are Keytech directors on the Mobility board. The company ran an extraordinary teaser ad campaign in the newspapers.

It showed a guy trying to get better reception on his mobile phone by standing on his desk. "It got peoples' attention."

Now the Mobility brand is less associated with BTC: "We've had people who come in and think we're the fourth player."

Mr. Wright is under no illusions about the tough market that Mobility is competing in.

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Asked whether the Bermuda market can support three different wireless companies he says: "In my opinion the market is over serviced. We're probably at around 50 percent penetration. AT&T are coming in with Telecom, Cellular are aiming to be 100 percent foreign owned and Telecom are upgrading their network

"I really believe that this year will be the turning point in terms of players and who is going to lead the market. We've managed to keep market share. I will admit that it's a slim lead."

As a member of a large group, Mobility has some advantages such as using BTC support services. But he stresses that Mobility gets no subsidies from the group. He describes the relationship with Keytech as "semi-autonomous."

Mr. Wright seems fascinated by the wider international telecommunications market. "My prediction is that by the end of this year, the US will overtake Europe in terms of products brought to market."

As for wider issues such as the responsibilities which come with having a cell phone and whether children should have them, Mr. Wright seems to don his parent hat rather than his business hat: "My kids only have mobile phones when they're not easily accessible"

As head of a cell phone company, he is in the business of technological development. But it seems he is not immune to concerns about where these developments might take us and like most Bermudians, he has a strong interest in youth issues: "There is so much going on; the world is changing. It's frightening what some of the youth are up to. But then there are others who are making something of themselves."

The company supports several youth causes and one of Mr. Wright's favourite causes is Rajae Woods - a junior Optimist sailing competitor is "something that we're very proud to be involved in."