Derek's life has been a thrilling journey of self-discovery and exploration, marked by his unwavering ambition to become a TV spokesman. Little did he know that his dream would take him to unexpected places, such as voicing a Harry Potter spokesgoblin for Universal Studios and portraying the Evil Empire's chief bad guy on Star Wars: Rebels.
With a thirst for adventure, Derek has traveled to over 75 countries, living and working in eight of them. He has attended universities in Paris and Barcelona, honing his language skills to host on-camera from a TelePrompTer in French, Italian, German, and Castilian Spanish.
Derek's impressive resume boasts a range of experiences, from being an RAF Officer to a City of London Special Constable and an AE in an international ad agency. He is a Fellow of the British Institute of Directors and has held CEO positions at Cinema Translation Center (Rome),Conservation Tools & Technology (UK),and Kick-Eez UK (shotgun recoil pads).
As a consultant, Derek has worked with notable companies such as Nitro Nobel (Sweden),Winchester (UK),Armi Perazzi (Italy),Eley Ammunition (UK),and Armas Kemen (Spain).
To fulfill his lifelong ambition to become a TV host/presenter, Derek had to wait until 1976, when he was invited to coach international trap and skeet shooters in South Africa and Rhodesia. During his time there, he trained SWAT Teams and met Mike Hart-Jones, head of Rhodesian TV, who hired him. Within a year, Derek's live magazine program, 'Frankly Partridge', became Rhodesia's most popular show.
Derek's fan mail, from viewers of all races and ages, was unprecedented in his ten years at RTV, according to Mike Hart-Jones, head of Rhodesian TV. Derek filled various roles at RTV, including head news anchor, quiz master of 'The Kwhizz Kids', and presenter of 'Message to the Nation' specials.
As an accomplished athlete, Derek was a member of the British International Trap Shooting Team at World and European Championships. He won the Gold Medal and set a World Record at the Nordic Games in Denmark and won another Gold Medal at the Grand Prix of Paris. He was the Founder and Chairman of the British International Trap Shooting Federation, Vice Chairman and Life VP of the English Clay Pigeon Shooting Association.
Derek has written books and over 100 articles for many US, English, and European shooting magazines. On the golf course, he has set no records and considers his handicap to be... himself!
As a live events MC, Derek has worked with clients such as NAHA (Hollywood Palladium),Motorola, Screen 2000, Toshiba Medical, City of Hope, British Gas, European Champions Football VIP galas in Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Rome, Media Alliance of Orange County, Marbella Film Festival, United Health Care, BOCM, ICI, United Medical, and California Sea Lions, among many others. He has hosted over 50 functions in Rhodesia.
