First and foremost, I’m a husband to my beautiful wife, Rachel, and I’m a proud father. We’ve been blessed with two curious and energetic daughters, Ellie and Mia, who constantly remind us of the simple joys in life.
Bio
Much of my day is spent as the Head of Employee Success and Director of Training & Development for ETE REMAN, which is the nation’s largest remanufacturer of transmissions and a 2021 USA Top Workplace. At ETE, I teach 100 managers the core principles of leadership, management, and personal development. Additionally, I create roadmaps for the following initiatives: culture, employee engagement, talent acquisition, leadership development, talent management, onboarding, and employee wellness.
Before joining ETE, I spent 12 years at the Wisconsin Athletic Club as the Director of People & Service, Director of Training & Development, and General Manager. During my tenure, I published the book SHIFT: Move from Frustrated to Fulfilled.
Shortly after joining the WAC, I couldn’t get enough of what I was studying, learning, and applying, so much that I created my own business, Fit to Lead, as an avenue to engage and impact others through keynotes, workshops, coaching, and writing. Fit to Lead gives your people-leaders a roadmap with the tools needed to create or refresh their leadership skills and has a multi-phase curriculum that consists of the following three sections: (1) Leading Yourself (2) Leading People (3) Leading Teams. Intentional Self-Leadership + Influential People-Leadership + Inspirational Team Leadership = An Invigorating Culture
My diverse career endeavors also include Wisconsin Lutheran College, a top ranked college by Forbes, Money Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal, as an Adjunct Professor of Adult and Graduate Studies. Additionally, I am certified to teach content from John Maxwell.
In my past career, I spent four years as a Video Scout in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks, two years as the Coordinator of Basketball Operations in the NCAA with Marquette University, and one year as the Director of Player Development with the University of Utah.
If there’s anything I’ve learned in the past decade, it’s that now is the time to build your career, shape your life, and strategically work on laying the foundation for accomplishing your dreams and prospering to your true potential. While there are many people who try to accomplish this, very few of them are given a roadmap of where to start; thus, I hope you will find me as your resource for getting your compass pointed in the right direction.
My Philosophy
My overall core philosophy is simple…
Intentional Self-Leadership + Inspirational Team Leadership = Invigorating Culture
It takes movement of self and others to create an invigorating culture. Each and every one of us must manually shift through the following five speeds in work and life to create an energized and effective organization:
Move to DEVELOP OTHERS
Move to BECOME A TEAM
Moves 1 and 2 are about self-leadership… moving YOURSELF. Move 3 consists of a self-leadership and team leadership blend. Moves 4 and 5 are about team leadership… moving OTHERS.
Derek works with organizations to develop strategies to:
– Increase employee effectiveness.
– Boost employee engagement.
– Improve employee retention.
– Grow organizational revenue.
Move Yourself, Move Others!
[Click Here for several studies that show why organizational culture matters.]
5 Reasons to Hire Derek as a
Speaker or Facilitator
- Derek is PASSIONATE… he brings the highest possible level of energy and enthusiasm.
- Derek is VULNERABLE… he shares his failures and teaches you how to learn from them.
- Derek is PREPARED… he pre-surveys your team and studies your business or organization.
- Derek CUSTOMIZES… he integrates your mission, vision, values, goals, and pre-survey feedback.
- Derek INSPIRES… he motivates your audience to act long after your event and creates a tailored handout with action items.