Leadership Team

 

Anant Yardi

CEO & Founder


In 1982, Anant Yardi recognized the need for an integrated accounting and property management software for the residential marketplace. As the director of systems development for Burroughs Corporation (now Unisys) and with 14 years of programming experience, he knew he had the background to design such a product. In 1984, “Basic Property Management” was created for the Apple II computer. Since that time, Anant has directed the company through over 35 years of steady growth, remaining the President and CEO as Yardi became a leader in real estate asset and property management solutions.

Anant’s vision is the driving force behind the development of effective and innovative software solutions for global real estate portfolio management. He has been recognized as one of the early pioneers in the commercial real estate automation industry, a “visionary in respect to automation systems and the resultant benefits in property operations,” according to Realcomm, when they honored him with the 2004 “Digie” award. He was inducted into the Multi-Housing News “Hall of Fame” that same year, and his company continues to receive industry accolades.

Anant has an M.S. in Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and B.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He worked for 14 years developing programming methodologies and directing systems development at Burroughs Corporation prior to establishing Yardi Systems.

 

Robert Teel

President, Global Solutions


Rob Teel joined Yardi in 2003 and has been a project and program manager for many multinational implementations. Since 2007, Rob has overseen the product direction and development of Yardi’s investment management, global, and commercial product lines. Prior to joining Yardi, he was a consulting manager for Accenture in the ERP (PeopleSoft) and business process outsourcing market sectors. He has been a financial and property management systems consultant for over thirteen years. Rob holds B.A. degrees in Management Information Systems and Finance from Florida State University.

 

Akshai Rao

President, Residential


Akshai Rao joined Yardi in 2013, and oversees Yardi’s Procure to Pay and Energy business units. During his tenure, Akshai has helped grow Yardi’s Procure to Pay client base to more than 3,000 clients across all real estate verticals and several countries. In his role at Yardi, Akshai supports product direction, implementation and ongoing support to enable clients to make the most of Yardi’s platforms. Prior to joining Yardi, he was a Manager in Bain & Company’s Tech and Telecom practice. Akshai has a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

 

Terri Dowen

Senior Vice President, Sales


Terri Dowen joined Yardi’s sales department in 1993 and was instrumental in developing regional sales territories as a Regional Sales Manager. In 1997, she became the Director of Sales; in 1998, she became Vice President of Sales; and in 1999, she was promoted to her current position as Senior Vice President of Sales. Under her direction, Yardi has achieved record-level sales. Prior to her career with Yardi, Terri spent five years in the banking industry. Terri attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she studied Business Economics.

 

John Pendergast

Senior Vice President, Client Services


John Pendergast joined Yardi in 1997 and has worked on product support, implementations, training, and consulting relationships. John has been active in residential, military, student housing, and commercial implementation projects. Before coming to Yardi, John was a member of the fiscal management team at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and an MIS Consultant to the State of Massachusetts. John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University, a Graduate Certificate in Mediation and Dispute Resolution from the University of Massachusetts, and a Master of Public Administration from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts.

 

Fritz Schindelbeck

Senior Vice President, Insurance & Call Center


Fritz Schindelbeck oversees our RentGrow Resident Screening, ResidentShield, Yardi Call Center, and PopCard teams. Fritz joined Yardi in 2002; as Vice President of Professional Services, he spent years working with our strategic national and international clients to help them realize maximum value from Yardi technology. He has more than 35 years of experience in the real estate industry, having served as a Controller and Information Technology Director for a pension fund advisor as well as a Vice President of Consulting for a leading provider of technology solutions to the industry. Immediately prior to joining Yardi, Fritz was a senior manager for KPMG and Deloitte & Touche in their real estate systems and operations consulting practice. Fritz holds a B.A. in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.

 

Sally Parks

Vice President, Human Resources


Sally Parks joined Yardi in 1995 and spent several years working in the Multiple Listings Services Group and later in the Sales Department. As the company grew, Sally was tasked with forming the Human Resources Department and in 2007 was promoted to her current position as Vice President. Prior to her career with Yardi, Sally worked for Digital Equipment Corporation serving in management roles on the East Coast. Sally embraces Yardi’s culture of kindness, inclusion, valuing of differences, and having fun. Sally holds a B.A. in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Massachusetts and certifications in Mediation and Negotiations from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

 

Arnie Brier

Senior Vice President, Legal & Human Resources


Arnie Brier joined Yardi in 2011 with 25 years of experience in corporate and commercial real estate law. Prior to joining Yardi, Arnie was a shareholder at a national law firm leading the firm’s California corporate department. During that time, he worked closely with Yardi on its company acquisitions. His professional experience also includes serving as general counsel for technology companies and as senior counsel for a Fortune 5 company. He currently oversees Yardi’s Legal and Human Resource departments, and manages the company’s M&A efforts. Arnie earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan and his B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

 

Jay Shobe

Senior Vice President, Cloud Services & Finance


Jay Shobe joined Yardi as a summer intern in 1985, just a few years after the company was started. After college he joined Yardi full-time in 1989 as a product support specialist for the company’s DOS product line. In 1994, he made the switch to programming and played a central role in several technology platform conversions, including Windows to Web-based systems and mobile app development. In 2009 he became Vice President of Technology, taking on responsibility for performance, security and platform architecture. He took on management of Cloud Services in 2014 and Finance in 2019. Jay holds a B.A. in History from Baylor University.

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