Dereck’s life has been a journey shaped by movement, curiosity, and reinvention. He began in New Zealand’s North Island, later settling in Canterbury before making his way south to the Berwick and Dunedin area, where many of his ambitions took root.

A significant chapter of his working life was spent as a firefighter, a role that demanded discipline and resilience. The shift work gave him the flexibility to pursue a second career in the building industry, where he developed practical skills and a strong work ethic.

Never content to stop learning, Dereck went on to attend the University of Otago, completing degrees in Psychology and IT. This unique combination of people skills and technical expertise led him to establish a successful IT business. That success opened the door to the hotel industry, where he developed and built Hotel on York, turning vision into a thriving enterprise.

Building on that experience, Dereck later founded Hotel Rescue, a company designed to support hotel owners by helping them manage their businesses and providing relief services so owners could finally take well-earned holidays.

More recently, Dereck has embraced Uber driving in Dunedin, enjoying the connection with people and the stories shared along the way. Looking ahead, he believes his future lies in the field of influencing—using his wide-ranging life experience to inform, inspire, and connect with others.