Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Derrick Weaver and I joined IntelliDyne in 2021 as the Director of Information Security.
What do you think makes IntelliDyne a great place to work?
IntelliDyne’s values of Inclusion, Integrity, and Service have developed a work environment that is hard not to love. The company values each employee and gives everyone the opportunity to grow professionally.
What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?
In my role, no two days are the same, and that is what I enjoy most about it. There is an old quote by Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “the only constant is change”. This is especially true in the world of information security, and I enjoy the challenge of keeping up with change.
What was your dream job growing up?
I was all over the place with the usual grade school life goals: cop, fireman, etc. At one point, I even said I wanted to work in psychology. However, dreams change over time, and once I became an adult, I had a much better idea of the direction I wanted to go in.
What is the most important career lesson you’ve learned so far?
No one knows everything, and sometimes you can be wrong. It is important to acknowledge your failures, learn from them, and then make improvements to avoid them in the future.
How do you motivate and inspire your team?
I try to empower my team as much as possible, and I also listen to their ideas and feedback. By doing this, it gives everyone on the team a vested interest in accomplishing our goals. Each team member has a part to play in order for the team to succeed.
What energizes you at work?
I enjoy working with my team and watching them grow professionally. Being able to coach and mentor them along the way is also rewarding to me.
What is the most important quality of a good leader?
There are several important qualities that come to mind, but if I had to pick just one, I’d say integrity is most important. A leader with no integrity is not really a leader at all.
What parts of our mission do you connect with?
While all parts of our mission are impactful, I connect most to the “people-first” aspect of our mission. Too often today, I see companies that provide a service but never truly focus on the people aspect of providing that service. I believe it is important to acknowledge the people behind the service.
What is one unique or fun fact that others may not know about you?
I love to cook! Growing up, I worked in my grandfather’s Italian restaurant from time to time. When I became old enough, I was able to work as a cook in the kitchen alongside him and learn the family recipes that he had learned from his parents, who had immigrated to the US from Italy in the early 1900s. To this day, those are some of my most cherished memories of my grandfather, and I still remember many of the family recipes.
Anything on your bucket list?
Travel to Italy and visit the birth places of my great-grandparents.