Derk is responsible for group strategy development and the global foresight and analytics organization in E.ON SE. He builds the insights and capabilities to support the delivery of our ambitions to transform the energy world for a sustainable and greener future. As E.ON’s Chief Economist & Futurist he helps the organization to become future-oriented, to mitigate risks and grasp opportunities.

In the last years and next to leading diverse strategic projects for the group, Derk developed and implemented a new, lean process for the annual strategic target setting and EUR 3.5 billion capital allocation and hold responsibility for E.ON’s financial portfolio model. He was part of the team preparing the groundwork of the innogy SE transaction with RWE AG by providing the groups strategic view on the drivers of the future energy world.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Derk co-lead E.ON’s top executive commercial crisis team providing transparency and guidance and helping the members of the E.ON SE board to steer the organization through this challenging time.

Before his current position, Derk hold diverse executive roles in the E.ON group, including the business controlling organization of E.ON’s power and carbon trading and optimization activities. In this role he hold responsibility for performance controlling, target setting and financial reporting covering a portfolio of 40 GW of generation capacity in Europe and the US and returning a EUR 400 million margin.

Derk started his career at the Institute of Energy Economics and the Rational Use of Energy at the University of Stuttgart where he earned his doctorate with distinction and worked as a lecturer and head of the energy use and energy management department.

Derk builds on a strong customer and employee orientation creating a team culture that thrives on change and innovation.