Derek Deprey

LIVING AS A LEADER

Much of Derek’s day is spent as a Leadership Facilitator & Coach at Living as a Leader (LAAL). He defines a leader as someone who engages others to deliver desired results. LAAL exists to support the development of leaders at all levels, from the high performer who has just been promoted, to middle managers, senior leaders and members of the executive team,

HEAD OF EMPLOYEE SUCCESS

Before joining Living as a Leader, Derek spent 3 years as the Head of Employee Success and Director of Leadership Development for ETE REMAN, which is the nation’s largest remanufacturer of transmissions and a USA Top Workplace. At ETE, he taught over 100 managers the core principles of leadership, management, and personal development.

WAC LIFE & THE JOHN MAXWELL TEAM

Prior to ETE, Derek spent 12 years at the Wisconsin Athletic Club (WAC) as the Director of People & Service, Director of Training & Development, and General Manager. During his tenure, he became a certified speaker & coach with the John Maxwell Team.

STARTING FIT TO LEAD

Shortly after joining the WAC, Derek couldn’t get enough of what he was studying, learning, and applying, so much so that he created my own business, Fit to Lead. Through keynotes, workshops, and coaching, Fit to Lead gives your people-leaders a roadmap with the tools needed to create or refresh their leadership skills.

WRITING BOOKS & PROFESSOR DEPREY

In 2017, Derek published the book SHIFT: Move from Frustrated to Fulfilled. In 2024, he published the book Everyday Leaders: Small Actions, Big Results. While writing, he spent 8 years as an Adjunct Professor of Leadership at Wisconsin Lutheran College, a top ranked college by Forbes, Money Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.

NCAA & NBA LIFE

His diverse career endeavors also included four years as a Video Scout in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks, two years as the Coordinator of Basketball Operations in the NCAA with Marquette University, and one year as the Director of Player Development with the University of Utah.

FAMILY LIFE

Derek is a husband and girl-dad who's been blessed with two social and active kids. When he’s not geeking out on leadership, he’s coaching youth basketball or carting his daughters all over like an Uber driver.

NOW IS THE TIME

If there’s anything Derek’s learned, it’s that now is the time to build your career, shape your life, and strategically work on laying the foundation for accomplishing your dreams and prospering to your true potential. While there are many people who try to accomplish this, very few of them are given a roadmap of where to start; thus, he hopes you will find him as your resource for getting your compass pointed in the right direction.