Praised as a hardworking, dedicated team member, Derek Weber is one of this quarter’s recipients of Haskell’s Living the Values Award. Weber, Director of Business Development in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Group, describes himself as a “team player who tries to elevate the work of those around him.”
Weber joined Haskell almost three years ago with enthusiasm to dive into the design-build world, a pivot from his background in sales for companies in clean energy, wholesale sign supplies and printing.
“I was impressed that there were companies out there that had the ability to fully design and build not only the facility, but also the manufacturing systems within,” Weber said.
Building manufacturing plants was fascinating enough, but his in-person interview sealed the deal. Weber recalled a warm welcome from Haskell team members and feeling like he was getting to know new friends in the meeting.
In his nomination letter, Director of Project Development Matt Williams praised Weber’s dependability and communication skills.
“I believe if you consistently bring energy and passion, while being humble and compassionate towards others, it is truly infectious,” Weber said.
Weber applies these same principles whether he’s working with internal teams or serving external customers. By developing long-lasting relationships with clients, Weber helps achieve successful project outcomes.
“You are the first face of the company that the prospective clients see,” he said. “That first impression is so important in driving the relationship, and, we hope, future partnership. Just live every day to make new friendships and help where you can.”
In the spirit of service, Weber values Haskell’s goal of going beyond the role of service provider to build a relationship as a lasting business partner and an extension of their client’s team.
Weber has worked diligently since joining Haskell’s West Coast operations to take ownership of the regional prospect and opportunity pipeline.
His efforts to drive early prospecting activities have given project leadership more time to focus on existing work. In his strategy, Weber gets input from the customer and internal subject matter experts to “hit the nail on the head” with proposed solutions ideally suited to the client’s needs.
The value of service is especially prominent in Weber’s personal and professional life. As a Pleasanton, California, and Livermore resident, Weber believes in giving back to the community.
“Service to the community – especially one where I grew up – is so important and a great way to give back,” he said. “A company like Haskell that encourages service and community engagement deserves to be at the top of the list for anyone seeking new work.”
Weber said he grew up volunteering and participating in service projects, such as renovating community housing in San Francisco and a women’s shelter in Oakland. He’s also been an active participant in Livermore community service projects.
For the past decade, Weber and his family have brought joy to their surrounding community through an award-winning holiday light display at their home, which is part of a regional light tour.
The tradition began nearly 25 years ago with an annual rash of “holiday thievery,” Weber jokes.
“For entertainment we used to steal our neighbors’ holiday decorations, often going unnoticed, and display them on our house,” he said. “As we got more efficient at stealing decorations, our display got bigger and bigger each year (and never stopped growing). We retired our criminal careers in holiday thievery many years ago.”
