Derek was born and raised in Pembroke and has been President and CEO at FPAC since March 2016.
As the son and grandson of pulp & paper workers in the Ottawa Valley, he is proud to bring the voice of Canada’s forest products sector and its workers, families, and communities to national and international policy and decision-making tables.
Prior to joining FPAC, Derek served for 7 years as Senior Vice President with Food & Consumer Products of Canada, the country’s leading voice for consumer goods manufacturers like Coca-Cola, McCains, Nestle, and Procter & Gamble.
Derek was Senior Vice President of Public Affairs with Retail Council of Canada (RCC) representing over 45,000 retail storefronts across Canada, including leading retailers like Canadian Tire, Walmart Canada, Home Depot, and Home Hardware.
From 2003 to 2005, Derek served as Chief of Staff to Ontario’s Minister of Consumer and Business Services.
In 2022, Derek was appointed by his colleagues at the International Council of Forest & Paper Associations (ICFPA) to be the global industry and business representative to the United Nations Forum on Forests. He also currently represents Canada’s forest sector at the UN Food & Agriculture Organization’s Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industries (ACSFI) as well as on the Initiative on Advancing Sustainable Forest-based Bioeconomy Approaches, currently being led by the Government of Austria.
Derek has a keen personal interest in health care solutions close to home and amateur sport. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, an organization committed to purchasing equipment for neo-natal intensive care units across Canada. He is also a former Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada.
