Neal Gemassmer

Yardi

By Leah Etling on Apr 9, 2012 in People

When it comes to getting away from his ever-present Blackberry, Neal Gemassmer will go to some extreme measures – like signing up for a 7-day, 250-kilometer trek through the Himalayas with a combined 39,000 feet of elevation gain.

As Yardi’s Vice President for Asia Pacific & Middle East, Neal is frequently traveling between the company’s four offices in the region. When he takes time off from his busy corporate life, his preference is to really get away from it all – and simultaneously stretch his limits of physical performance.

He also goes above and beyond with charitable fundraising efforts that are connected with his endurance challenges, focusing on non-profits that benefit children, women and literacy in underdeveloped countries worldwide.

“Everyone can give, and everyone can contribute. You don’t have to give a lot to make a difference,” said Neal. His value set is in line with the corporate philanthropy policy embraced by Yardi, which donates to multiple national and local charities each year.

During his 2011 Himalayan Trek, Neal raised $10,000 for a Cambodian children’s hospital, Children’s Surgical Center, which provides rehabilitation surgeries for Cambodian kids that vastly improve their quality of life. He’s also completed extensive fundraising for Room to Read, which provides libraries and reading resources to communities worldwide.

His efforts to help others have rubbed off on his family (Neal and his wife Kim, who live in Hong Kong, have three young children). For his last birthday, son Luc, 11, asked his dad if he could make a contribution to Room to Read instead of receiving presents.

Neal said that one of the highlights of running through rural Nepal, often on single-track trail used by goats and villagers for travel between tiny communities, was seeing local children who might walk up to two hours one way to attend school.

“The kids dressed in their school uniforms, called out namaste, ‘what’s your name’, ‘what is your country’, ‘give me chocolate’ and the occasional ‘give me money’,” he recounted in a blog about the trek adventure. You can read all of Neal’s posts detailing his journey day by day.

Professionally, Neal’s enjoyment of his work expanding Yardi’s products and services to the international marketplace comes from helping clients solve problems and bridging communication barriers. His ability to relate and connect with other cultures is a universal standard in his life.

And you can expect that if he doesn’t respond almost immediately to your email message, he’s out of Internet range – and probably running all day long. Continuing his adventures, he plans to complete 50K and 100K events in 2012 and gear up for another charity benefit 250K, the Atacama Crossing, in 2013.