Derk is a gaming surveillance, security and loss prevention specialist and consultant. He has served in executive positions in security, surveillance and compliance capacities for American Casino and Entertainment Properties, Grand Casinos, Bally’s, Aztar, Del E. Web, Corp., Palms, Tropicana Entertainment and MGM Resorts, as well as in Tribal gaming as an executive and consultant.

Derk, as a security and surveillance executive has developed proactive and successful security, surveillance, and loss prevention programs. He has performed risk assessments and developed emergency response manuals, as well as action plans for business recovery. Derk has prepared both security and surveillance teams to respond to emergency events through regular training and drills. He has hands-on experience in the assessment of threats and risks, and the handling of different types of critical events. He has served as a consultant for security and surveillance to Tribal Gaming properties and is a Raving Partner with Raving Consulting.

The security and surveillance teams trained and led by Derk have a proven track record of success in loss prevention, and in the detection of cheating at gaming, advantage play, and internal and external theft and fraud.

Derk is Board Certified as a security professional and possesses knowledge and proficiency in security principles and practices, business principles and practices, legal aspects of security, personnel security, physical security, information security, crisis management and investigation.

Derk has earned professional certification as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and as a Certified Surveillance Professional (CSP). He is currently the President of the International Association of Certified Surveillance Professionals (IACSP) and is one of its founding members.

He co-authored Casino Security and Gaming Surveillance (2010) and Casino and Gaming Resort Investigations (2020). He is a respected author, instructor and speaker, specializing in the fields of security and surveillance training and methodology, gaming protection, loss prevention and the detection of internal and external theft and fraud.

He has appeared as an expert on several television networks, including the Travel Channel, and his technical articles have appeared in dozens of professional journals, including Security Management magazine, which is published by ASIS International. ASIS International is the largest organization for security professionals with more than 36,000 members worldwide. As a speaker, he has been featured at several international conferences, including the Global Gaming Exposition (G2E), World Gaming Protection Conference and ASIS International seminars and programs.