Derek Bolland
From Entry Level to Director
When he is not at work, Derek Bolland enjoys a variety of activities: family camping with his wife and two daughters, hunting, fishing, and woodworking, to name a few. When he is in the office, Derek enjoys working with multiple teams, collaborating, finding solutions to long-term issues, and just helping other people through his leadership role.
“Seeing someone achieve a goal or achieve something they didn’t think they could do before, that is most gratifying for me.”
Derek’s career journey began in the spring of 2002. He was wrapping up coursework in a design and drafting program when some classmates who worked at Douglas encourage him to apply. He was hired that May.
Derek started at Douglas as a detailer, collecting ECR’s from machines on the shop floor, updating engineering drawings, and detailing part drawings. He then moved on to be an assistant designer and, after that, a mechanical designer which brought his first opportunity for team leadership.
“Douglas has given me a lot of opportunities to advance my skills throughout my career … As I transitioned into more leadership roles, the Douglas Leadership Academy program really helped me grow and set me up with the right tools to be an effective leader.”
Being an active member of the Standard Library team and the CAD committee, Derek advanced to become a process engineer. Building a network with individuals from other companies that used SolidWorks allowed Derek to accelerate his knowledge on improving process efficiency.
The engineering department grew, along with Derek’s interest in leadership roles, and he took a natural step from team coordinator to engineering manager in a short amount of time. As a manager, he led an outstanding team of engineers, focusing on designing corrugate, paperboard and top load machines.
After a few years in management. Derek took on the Director of Engineering position, leading a diverse team that influences many parts of the business. With the addition of the mechanical production engineering teams, Derek’s role expanded once again. He currently works as the Director of Mechanical Engineering.
“I have been blessed to have great coworkers, leaders, and teams throughout my career at Douglas. These individuals have taught me a lot and pushed me to do things I didn’t feel capable of doing … With the team culture, you never feel you’re working alone. I have built many great relationships throughout my career, and I look foward to many more!”
