About Derek
Leadership That Lasts
Beyond the Moment
Derek Deprey is a keynote speaker, facilitator, coach, author, and leadership educator who helps organizations develop leaders people truly want to follow.
For more than a decade, Derek has strengthened workplace cultures from the inside out through keynotes, workshops, coaching, and development experiences designed for the realities managers face every day.
What sets Derek apart is his ability to connect inspiration with execution. People leave energized and equipped—with practical tools, shared language, and simple systems they can immediately apply within their teams and workplaces.
Across more than 1,000 leadership sessions, Derek has partnered with hundreds of organizations—from community-focused businesses to nationally recognized brands across finance, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, education, government, construction, technology, and more.
His work centers on one challenge: helping organizations develop managers who communicate clearly, build trust, create accountability, and lead people well.
Before dedicating his career to leadership development and speaking, Derek spent seven years in basketball operations at the NCAA Division I and NBA levels, including:
✭ Video Scout for the Milwaukee Bucks
✭ Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Marquette University
✭ Director of Player Development at the University of Utah
During that time, Derek had the opportunity to work with three coaches who earned NBA Coach of the Year honors. Those experiences taught him that talent matters—but trust, communication, accountability, and consistent development are what turn individuals into strong teams.
His experience in high-performance sports taught Derek how great teams operate. The next chapter of his career taught him how those same principles translate to the workplace.
✭ Derek spent 13 years at the Wisconsin Athletic Club in leadership and operational roles, including Director of People and Service, Director of Training and Development, and General Manager.
✭ During that time, he also became a certified speaker and coach with the John Maxwell Team.
✭ He later served as Head of Employee Success and Director of Leadership Development for ETE REMAN, a USA Top Workplace and national leader in remanufactured transmissions.
✭ At ETE REMAN, Derek helped develop more than 100 managers while leading initiatives focused on leadership development, employee engagement, culture, onboarding, talent management, and personal growth.
✭ He also spent eight years as an adjunct professor of leadership at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Derek is the author of SHIFT: Move from Frustrated to Fulfilled and Everyday Leaders: Small Actions. Big Results. His third book, Leadable: Be Coachable. Become Unstoppable., is on the way.
Today, Derek’s work extends beyond the stage through Lead on 3—a practical, customizable leadership development experience that helps organizations move beyond one-time events and create lasting growth through workshops, real-world application, eLearning, coaching, practical tools, and certification.
At the center of Derek’s philosophy is a simple belief: Leadership isn’t defined by a title, charisma, or natural talent. It is built through consistency, accountability, communication, and a willingness to grow.
Leadership Expertise
Whether you are looking for a keynote speaker, leadership workshop facilitator, leadership development partner, executive coach, or long-term leadership training solution for your organization, Derek's work is designed to create momentum that continues long after the event ends. His areas of expertise include:
Emerging Leader & New Manager Development
Communication, Influence & Executive Presence
Performance Management & Accountability
Feedback, Coaching & Difficult Conversations
Team Culture, Trust & Psychological Safety
Coaching, Delegation & Employee Development
Prioritization, Productivity & Execution
Change Leadership & Organizational Adaptability
Problem Solving, Decision Making & Critical Thinking
Employee Engagement, Retention & Leadership Culture
Organizations bring Derek in to help leaders communicate more effectively, develop their people, improve performance, strengthen culture, and create workplaces where employees want to stay and grow.
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The Driving Force
The driving force behind Derek’s professional work is the life that fuels it. He is Rachel’s husband and the proud father of two daughters, Ellie and Mia. Outside of work, much of his life revolves around family, sports, long walks, meaningful conversations, and trying to be wherever his daughters are—especially as they get older and life moves faster.
Family remains the heartbeat behind Derek’s work; it’s the reason helping others lead better and live better matters so deeply to him.
