Leadership Spotlight

Yardi Canada

By Erica Rascón on Aug 1, 2018 in People

Peter Altobelli is the Vice President of Sales and General Manager at Yardi Canada Ltd., a passionate mentor for many employees, as well as a husband and father.

Arriving at this point in his career has entailed 30 years of dedication, innovation and focus on the company’s clients.

He began his career in the 1980s with a background in software development in the healthcare sector. “You all have it so easy these days,” chuckles Altobelli. “Back then everything was in DOS. Shortcut keys were a major breakthrough for users. These days, people don’t think that that could even be a feature worth mentioning given that everything is done with a mouse, even intuitive touch screen or by voice activation.”

In the 1990s, Altobelli became an entrepreneur, developing software products for the home building, property management and real estate brokerage industries. Through software design, development, sales and implementation, the company created a strong presence in the market and was instrumental in promoting technology to support new ways of doing business. It was during this period that Yardi began collaborating with Altobelli and his company to establish a footprint in Canada.

By 2000, Altobelli became an integral part of the staff at Yardi. His thorough understanding of the Canadian market and industry standards have been crucial elements for the growth of Yardi Canada as it offers comprehensive support, implementation, sales and marketing for real estate businesses.

Innovation + Growth with Yardi

Altobelli was responsible for establishing the first Yardi office in Canada and has grown Yardi’s market penetration to be the leading software supplier in the country.

“I was excited to work with Yardi because it’s such an innovative company,” says Altobelli. “I also appreciate that the culture is very inclusive. There is diversity of experience and thought here. Employees are encouraged to bring their unique gifts to the table.”

Altobelli adds, “Success is not defined by the corporate ladder. It is defined by your contribution. Recognition of that measure of success is acknowledged.”

Currently, Altobelli leads Yardi’s presence in Canada with a focus on fostering client relationships and introducing innovative products that drive growth and increase efficiencies. His winning strategy has been to educate the industry about tech innovation, setting new standards throughout Canada. Altobelli began with selling and installing DOS systems before leading the company’s Canadian expansion with the launch of over 34 products in six real estate sectors.

“One of the most challenging yet rewarding parts of working with Yardi has been seeing it grow from a small company in Santa Barbara to an international provider of real estate software worldwide. The company has witnessed unprecedented growth over the decades while maintaining a corporate culture that gives us all the benefits of a smaller company,” he says

Moving Forward

Yardi’s elite status did not come easily. “I’ve seen the Canadian market shift. Companies here used to be hesitant about using software because the internet was still a new concept. Then came cloud computing, which is so intangible, and clients seem to fixate on security concerns,” reflects Altobelli.

But he didn’t give up. “With more education, the companies began to see the appeal of applications and software that can go with you anywhere and at any time. Having information be available 24/7 to users is invaluable. Security is constantly evolving as well,” he adds. “The Canadian market is coming around and the success stories are encouraging.”

Alongside his work with Yardi, Altobelli’s commitment to the real estate industry includes service as a board member of the Hamilton District Apartment Association, the Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario and the Greater Toronto Apartment Association Charitable Foundation.