Derek Thomas serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Ryan. In this role, he leads Ryan’s global marketing team and brand strategy, positioning the Firm’s award-winning global tax services and software to drive growth and build client preference.
Based in Ryan’s Dallas, Texas headquarters, Derek offers a track record of more than 20 years of transformative leadership roles, reconceptualizing marketing strategy and execution at a global level for both hypergrowth and established technology leaders.
Prior to joining Ryan, Derek held marketing and strategy leadership positions within Blue Yonder and Emerson Electric, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Business Development at Blue Yonder, where he guided the transformation to data-driven and audience-based marketing. He also worked for more than nine years in various technology leadership roles earlier in his career.
Derek holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University in St. Louis – Olin School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. With a background spanning marketing and engineering, Derek carries a strong customer orientation, intense commerciality, and ability to “see” and respond to market opportunities to bring a customer-led approach to marketing.