Derek Luke brings more than two decades of experience in executive leadership at multinational corporations, including Blackberry and Seagate, to his role at Muse®. Drawing from his years of experience in the highly competitive technology industry, Derek has helped strengthen Muse®’s execution across design, development, sales and marketing to position the company for aggressive growth and success.Prior to joining Muse®, Derek served as EVP and COO for Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), a $1.5B non-for-profit Canadian Government Fund with a portfolio of 245+ clean tech companies. At Blackberry, Derek served as senior vice president of Manufacturing Excellence, Supply Chain Quality and Global Repair Services.Today, Derek is passionate about equal opportunity and equal pay in the STEM landscape — something he has worked hard to integrate into the company’s corporate culture. He is a true believer in creating a workplace that breeds innovation, creativity and collaboration. He brings his knowledge of connecting design, development, manufacturing, supply chain, government relations, sales and marketing to the team.
What is your definition of Leadership?
Leadership can come from anywhere in the organization at any time from anyone – It’s the person with the vision, drive, and knowledge to inspire others to follow. As a CEO, sometimes I am a leader, a follower or a supporter.
What are the most important values and ethics you demonstrate as a leader?
Having an authentic and credible voice as this builds trust among employees, organizational effectiveness, and sets the company for success. The other trait is humility – a humble leader allows others to speak their opinions and respect differences while championing best ideas no matter where these came from.
How do you encourage the development of your employees?
By instilling the right culture and partnering with employees to develop not just themselves, but how they can help develop those they work with. Encouraging feedback loops throughout the organization leads to a more effective team that are consistently iterating themselves to put their best foot forward.
What is your advice to Canadian business owners during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
These are uncertain and unprecedented times for any organization, but I do think safety of others, your employees and playing an active part in the community is of paramount importance. Listening and implementing guidance from the experts is critical, and having business continuity plans in place to help mitigate risk.
