Derek’s pedigree in leadership and coaching stems from 30 years of hands-on experience in demanding, high risk, environments. After successful careers as a senior officer and fast jet pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and as an operational leader with Goldman Sachs, Derek now works with the leadership of corporate, public and not for profit organisations facilitating high performance during complex change through coaching and mentoring and next generation leadership development.
With over 3,000 Tornado hours in his log book, Derek’s flying career began in the cold war as a line pilot and ended in the post 9/11 era as the officer commanding number IX squadron. He also completed roles in defence procurement programme management, strategy, multi national command and operational training giving him experience of leadership and decision making (at the speed of sound) as well as a more general grounding in public sector management.
On retiring from the RAF, Derek undertook a senior operational leadership role with Goldman Sachs, where his innate people skills and commercial acumen were widely welcomed in a highly professional and culturally diverse company. He led teams in the UK, India and the US; negotiated outsourcing support contracts, led on offshore operational, and management excellence, initiatives.
Capitalising on his leadership skills and life experiences, in 2008, Derek established a boutique leadership consultancy. From initial consultation to the inspirational delivery of focused interventions, Derek works with leaders on areas of business pressure such as strategy, operational delivery and their own leadership approach which often includes mentoring and coaching. As well as having a number of commercial clients, Derek consults for The Mowgli Foundation designing and facilitating their mentoring programmes.
Derek ascribes his success in three vastly different arenas to his fundamental belief in a values based approach to leadership, and to life: Alignment and integrity between what he thinks, what he says and how he behaves. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Open University Business School and a Master of Arts degree from Kings College (London). He has studied advanced coaching at Henley Management College and is a member of the City & Guilds Institute (Leadership). Derek is a black belt in Tae Kwon-do and lives in his, self-built, home in Oxfordshire. derek.watson@valuesledpeople.co.uk
