Derek is a seasoned pension expert with more than 30 years of industry experience. Since joining as CEO and Plan Manager in April 2009, he has led the CAAT Plan to become one of Canada’s most sustainable pension plans, applying his expertise in funding, risk management, strategic planning, governance, and stakeholder relations to strengthen the CAAT Plan. Under his leadership, CAAT has opened its modern defined benefit (DB) pension plan to all industries in the private, non-profit, and broader public sectors across Canada.
Derek received the 2023 Institutional Connect Lifetime Achievement Award and 2019 ACPM Industry Award for his creativity in addressing challenges in Canada’s retirement income system. He continues to passionately advocate for innovative solutions to improve access to efficient, high-performing pensions.
A sitting member of the Pension Policy Council at C.D. Howe Institute, Derek is also a founding faculty member of the Masters of Trust Management Standards of the International Foundation of Employee Benefits and Pensions (IFEBP). He served as co-chair of the Canadian Public Pension Leadership Council (CPPLC) and Board member at the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM).
Derek is a featured speaker for conferences and media, including World Pension Alliance, BNN Bloomberg, and The Globe & Mail. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Waterloo.