Professional experience
Derrek brings more than two decades of leadership across diverse sectors, including defence, regional economic development, infrastructure, logistics, and organisational change. Based in Newcastle and Port Stephens, he combines big-picture strategic insight with boots-on-the-ground pragmatism to help businesses scale, boost productivity, and drive sustainable growth.
His career has spanned senior roles in the Australian Army, the Big Four consulting firms, and local/regional business advisory services, grounding his approach in transformation, operational strategy, and capability development. Derrek excels in translating vision into action, whether supporting supply chain optimisation, infrastructure expansion, succession planning, or turnaround initiatives.
Known for his calm, inquisitive mindset and bias for action, Derrek is often a trusted sounding board for owners and leadership teams seeking clarity, direction, and momentum. Rather than writing strategies that go unread, he collaborates to embed change, simplifying complexity, diagnosing root issues (not just symptoms), and delivering tangible, measurable outcomes.
How he helps
- Develops practical, executable operational and digital roadmaps aligned with business goals
- Partners with owners to address productivity, readiness for succession, and scaling capability
- Leverages digital maturity and business diagnostics to align technology, people, and processes
Qualifications and memberships
- Master of Strategic Studies, focused on organisational capability and procurement
- Current Defence Reservist
