Energized by New Opportunity – A Spotlight on Derek

As the Chief Operating Officer for VC3, you might think that Derek Woolf advanced his career through a progression of technical positions. After all, he’s responsible for the operations of a technology company that has a North American footprint that extends throughout the US and Canada.  

At the time, Derek was a student at the University of La Verne, just 15 miles from the Rancho Cucamonga offices of Accent Computer Solutions, which is now VC3. He took on the responsibility of collecting overdue payments from clients when he was introduced to Accent’s founder, Marty Kaufman, through one of his instructors.  

Collection Calls Viewed as Relationship Opportunities 

Taking on the task of collections can be intimidating, especially for a young student still in college, but Derek viewed it as an opportunity to build relationships. 

“I saw my job as a way to have a relationship or even develop friendships with our customers,” said Derek. “There are frustrations that come with people not calling you back or ignoring you or making promises that they don’t keep, but it’s a lot harder for people to break a promise when you have a relationship with them.” 

Career Path Led to Finance and IT Strategy 

As the years progressed, so did his career. Derek made his way from collections clerk to accounting manager to controller. He also started meeting with clients as their  strategic  advisor, exponentially increasing his understanding of business technology as he worked alongside the technical staff. 

“Through personal development as well as direct interactions with the different service delivery managers, I acquired the technical background I needed to communicate with business leaders,” said Derek. “I developed an understanding of high-level technical concepts, risks and critical best practices. With that training, I was able to deliver that message or solution or opportunity to our clients.” 

Opportunities to Play a Bigger Role 

Derek was good at finance and accounting and had a firm grasp of IT concepts and how to create IT strategy, but he discovered that his real satisfaction came from being able to take a vision and help deliver it. 

So, in 2005 Derek and Marty decided that Derek would run operations and Marty would run sales. As they shook hands to seal the deal, Derek felt like he suddenly had the opportunity to play a bigger part in growing the company. Now that  Accent is part of VC3, Derek feels like he has the same type of opportunity in front of him. 

“I’m invigorated because everything with VC3 is on a much grander scale with expanded opportunity,” said Derek. “And the other thing is that I love the people I have worked with, so now that opportunity to develop relationships with like-minded people has increased exponentially. Suddenly I have 600 people that I get to grow with and who are headed in the same direction as me.” 

Carrying Out Business Objectives 

At VC3, Derek is responsible for all company operations with the exception of finance, HR, sales, and marketing. His objective is to make sure that the processes and procedures that are used to deliver services to clients are consistent, efficient, and best in class, and that the operational team is in line with VC3’s business strategy. 

“In my role, I make sure that all the teams are aligned, whether internal or external facing; that we believe in the mission; and that we’re moving forward together in an organized and efficient manner that leads us to accomplish the goals set before us,” said Derek. 

To do this, as the operational leader, he acts as a conduit between the leadership team and the rest of operations. He translates objectives, clarifies and motivates the operational teams, making sure that everyone understands them and can play their part in executing the strategy. 

On a day-to-day basis, Derek is constantly working with the directors of the departments involved in delivering targeted outcomes with VC3 clients.  Through direct, one-to-one meetings with members of his team, he leads and provides the answers essential to moving their objectives forward. 

“In order for us to be successful in the operations team, we have to serve as one. We need to constantly look for opportunities to evolve and improve,” said Derek. “We recognize that every interaction, whether it’s with a client, vendor, partner or each other, is an opportunity to deliver above expectations.” 

Enduring Value of Relationships 

All of these activities fall in line with VC3’s core values which are similar to the values that have guided Derek for years. That’s not surprising since both parties view cultural alignment as an essential indicator of successful integration of their organizations into one. 

At the end of the day, it’s still relationships that are at the core of Derek’s approach to his work, and that’s not so different from what guided him along 23 years ago when he was making collection calls. 

Derek sums up his philosophy like this, “Everyone thinks that a company is a big shell, but it’s all of us. And for me, success is about watching others grow and seeing what we can accomplish together. That’s what inspires me.”