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Michael Gengler
Managing Director – Asia Pacific,
Fluke Networks
By Anoop Menon
His desire to see the world took Michael Gengler from a small nondescript town in the United States, to the US Marine Corps. “I have an affinity to absorb world history and geography, and I knew that joining in to the military would allow me to do that," he says," I always wanted to join the Marines to prove to myself that I could pass the test of entrance into that branch of the military.”
The hard work and the discipline in the Marine Corps molded Gengler and motivated him to do more and to see more. It also helped him get into the IT sector when he got out of the armed forces.
Gengler is an outdoor man who enjoys camping, fishing and hunting despite his hectic travel schedule. He also has a passion for reading up history books.
As is the case with most executives, he has always tried to maintain a balance between business time and personal time. “Sometimes this is very difficult to do; but it is important to maintain a good balance in life. So, you must plan accordingly and do your best to stick to those plans,” he mulls philosophically.
He vividly remembers his whirlwind schedule on one of his early trips in 1995. “I departed from Seattle to New York, and then to London to spend a few days there; then on to Israel and South Africa. From there I went to India and spent almost two weeks on business events in several cities. From India I travelled to Bangkok for a couple days, then to Singapore for another week of work; then from Singapore to Tokyo and then to home in Seattle. It was a lot of miles and a month away from home; but a great adventure,” he remembers.
For Gengler, his mother is a big inspiration, as it was she who always supported him and drove him to work hard; taught him to be respectful; and be tolerant of others and to always strive to do the best that he could. Another person who has had a profound impact on his life is his Marine Corps senior drill instructor Davis, who he says, was an incredibly tough, disciplined, no-nonsense guy who focused on "getting the job done" regardless of the barriers.
For the soldier that he is, he likes qualities such as being truthful, being frank and open to new ideas, while disliking people who lack risk-taking and have big egos. He signs off saying that he would like to see his three children grow to be good adults and good people.
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