Born in the South. Raised in the North. Braised in the West.
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My experience driving creative and thriving in a fast-paced agency environment has its roots in my formative years in New York, where I designed my first logo: a pictogram commemorating my fondness for a little girl in my 5th-grade class, comprised of our tangled initials. At first visibly unmoved by the gesture, she gradually warmed to the idea after the 3rd round of revisions and most of my lunch. This focus on building affection, understanding the audience, and the thrill of a good challenge continue to inspire and inform me on all of my projects, big and small.
A few years after that, with a BA in Comparative Literature and Film Studies from Indiana University Bloomington, I moved to Los Angeles and began working in production, art department, and animation assisting under top directors and production designers including Gore Verbinski, Marcus Nispel, Alex McDowell, Simon Blake, and others. These early opportunities led to my art directing several MTV videos and my directorial debut on a national Coca-Cola campaign for the Summer Olympics (Thank you eternally, Sharon O!!!).
Suddenly, my running follow spot for Billy Idol, and sweeping up after Madonna at the Roxbury, and driving my boss’s dog to the groomer had paid off in the form of an actual career. Doing cool shit. Work continued with leading agencies including Digital Kitchen, Leo Burnett, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Digital Domain, Pittard Sullivan, Mod Op, The Ant Farm, Troika Design Group, Zoic Studios, and many others. My teams and I have developed strategic creative solutions across digital, interactive, experiential, broadcast, and gaming. I take a hands-on approach, utilizing skills including live-action direction, 2D and 3D animation, brand and graphic design, UX/UI, copywriting, and music production.
Since then, I’ve helmed hundreds of campaigns, integrated digital/experiential initiatives, and brand design packages, with work spanning many industries, audience segments, and disciplines.
I learned from the best that you can lead with authority and empathy at the same time—keeping the mood light and the standards heavy. And I still approach every assignment with the same curiosity, care, and fascination I did with my very first camera, a Konica EE-Matic rangefinder with a failed light meter, with magic inside.
What a blessing it is to call this stuff we do work. Thank you for reading this far—you absolute champ.
Kindly,
CORE STRENGTHS
A seasoned creative strategist and director who distills complex brand objectives into emblematic communications, balancing authoritative experience with a mentor’s heart and a preternatural sense of humor.
NICE THINGS
Derich possesses an exceptional creative mind, is a top-notch strategic thinker, and a great creative manager.
I’ve known Derich since his early animation work for Nickelodeon, and he still has what appears to be an innate gift for delighting clients and colleagues alike—no matter the challenge. He brings both an enthusiastic, beginner’s mind and a steady, seasoned professionalism to everything he does.
Godfather of Harlem won an Emmy yesterday for Outstanding Title Design, and I wanted you to know that it couldn’t have happened without all the years working with you and learning from you. I was super rough until you came in as DK’s creative director and established some order and guidance. Thank you.”
Derich is a great manager who really listens to his team and helped me become a better creative every day. He has an impressive ability to find the core of clients’ needs and develop solutions that exceed their expectations.
His leadership always inspires great work and instills a sense of trust in his vision. He communicates effortlessly and effectively with clients and those of us who are lucky enough to be on his team.
He has a high level of creativity, understands business objectives, and can direct his team to produce great work. Derich is a top-notch professional.
Derich was outstanding at creating the vision for the new Commerce Casino brand. The acceleration in revenue allowed Commerce Casino to keep its spot as the market leader in LA, and command 25% of the total California card club market.
I’ve led marketing teams and run ad agencies, so I’m familiar with creative executives who either roll over or who are tough to work with. Derich supports his team’s work, but does it in a productive and positive way. He is a pleasure to work with as a result.