Jack Derby, Head Coach, Derby Management 

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Hi, I'm Jack, Head Coach here at Derby Management

Prior to forming Derby Management, a management consulting firm specializing in business planning and rapid Sales & Marketing productivity improvement, my background included positions as...

  • CEO, EarCheck,
  • CEO, Mayer Electronics Corporation,
  • President, CB Sports,
  • President, Litton Industries Medical Systems,
  • CEO, Datamedix Corporation
  • EVP, Becton Dickinson Medical Systems.

Additionally, I'm a Professor of the Practice at Tufts, where I have taught courses for 16 years in "Entrepreneurial Marketing" and "The Science of Sales". Prior to my stepping down due to family health reasons,  I held the position of Director of the Tufts Entrepreneurship Center and the Cummings Family Professor of Entrepreneurship.  In June, 2021, my wife and I donated $10 million to Tufts School of Engineering renaming the entrepreneurship department to the Derby Entrepreneurship Center@Tufts.

I'm an Instructor at MIT teaching business principles in the Mechanical Engineering Department where I've taught for 21 years. 

I am also a heavily experienced board member, all of which you can review below.

Derby Management is a 30 plus year old boutique management consulting firm, focusing its expertise in three primary services for its 400+ customers, mostly located in New England since we want to be physically close (after 2021 ends) to our customers if the need arises.  Having said that, we are very fluent using Zoom, Teams & Skype gained from thousands of sessions both in our business and in teaching at Tufts and MIT. 

  • Business & Strategic Planning
  • Sales & Marketing Productivity Improvement
  • Senior Management Development Coaching

At anytime, just email me at jack@derbymanagement.com or text to 617-504-4222

Given, the company's concentration in Business & Strategic Planning and in Sales & Marketing Productivity Improvement, the firm additionally has deep expertise in angel, venture and private equity financing having been actively involved in the fundraising of over $840 million for its clients.  In some of these cases, we have led the fundraising campaign using our contacts and deep expertise in the Boston financing ecosystem, while in others, we have been active Coaches to the management team throughout the entire campaign process.  

In my “spare” time, I'm a professor at Tufts University’s School of Engineering where I teach two courses-one in Marketing, other in Sales. In 2015, I was humbled by being named "The Engineering Teacher of the Year", by the University.

Each fall, for the past 20 years, I've been a Lecturer at MIT where I teach classes in business planning and marketing in the Mechanical Engineering Department in the Management in Engineering program, 2.96.01

I'm pretty active in the New England emerging and middle market business communities. I have been named to Mass High Tech’s All Star Team. Additionally, I was Chairman and 10 year board member of the MIT Enterprise Forum, Vice Chair of the Smaller Business Association of New England, President of The University Club of Boston, where I was a Director for 12 yearsthe Founding Chairman of The Stratton Mountain Club for 11 years, a 12 year Chairman of the Association for Corporate Growth of Boston, receiving its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 and Chairman of Common Angel Ventures.  At Common Angels, during my tenure, we raised a large fund and then rebranded the iconic Common Angels to Converge Venture Partners, where I am a very active General Partner.

Corporately, I'm currently a Director at the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Aviant HospiceBrainshark Corporation, Chase Corporation, and Loci Controls.

Over the years, I've been an active board member in 10 other corporate companies including Beacon Hospice (Chairman),  Hybricon (Chairman), Ntirety, Research Frontiers, EarCheck (CEO & Chairman), Profile Systems, ROMAC, Anika Therapeutics (CEO), Spryance, Datamedix (CEO & Chairman), Mayer Electronics (CEO and Chairman), CB Sports (President) and Reiser (Chairman)

I'm a graduate of Boston College and the United States Peace Corps serving in Tanzania.

Finally, I work hard (sometimes successfully) to divide my time between working in Boston, teaching at MIT and Tufts, snowboarding at Stratton Mountain in southern Vermont during the winter and living and surfing on the beach in NH where I live.  It actually works well...most of the time...

Jack @ MIT

MIT MarketingFor the past 21 years, I've had the excitement of being a lecturer at MIT in the Mechanical Engineering class of Professor Jung Hoon Chun.  The concept is to bring to a class of gifted undergraduate and graduate mechanical engineers a few principles of business.  Specifically directed at a semester-long project plan, my teaching focuses on...

  • fundamentals of business planning
  • the writing of a business plan
  • fundamentals of marketing
  • the application of marketing tactics to a business

Great fun, exciting students and an opportunity to give back to MIT.

Derby Entrepreneurship Center@Tufts

TuftsNow entering into my 16th academic year, I'm a Professor of the Practice teaching Marketing and also a course titled "The Science of Sales" within the Derby Entrepreneurship Center @Tufts, where I was the Director of the Center before stepping down in 2019 to spend more time teaching, my first love and due to family health issues. The Center is department within the Gordon Institute and the School of Engineering.

I am humbled by being awarded the Henry and Madeline Fischer "Teacher of the 2014-2015 Year" for the University and being named the Cummings Family Professor of Entrepreneurship! 

Passion

"Exciting", "challenging", "complex" and "totally rewarding" are just a few of the immediate phrases that come to mind.  In addition to the firm's work in adding deep value to our customers, which I love, teaching at Tufts and at MIT is the best thing that I do!

A Different Course

Since the world of Marketing (and Sales) is changing at breakneck speed, this class is fast-paced, built on this year's strategies and tactics and engages these juniors and seniors in real life companies that have provided both classes with semester-long complex projects.  Each of these six companies (for each course-Marketing and for The Science of Sales) receives a team of five students who, prior to coming to the first class, have researched the companies, reviewed the project deliverables and formed themselves into working teams.

Every marketing concept, each Outbound and Inbound marketing tactic and every marketing tool of my toolbox are woven into the tapestry surrounding the individual companies during the semester.

Four HBR case studies, six lecturers, two trips to local tech companies, HubSpot and Brainshark, and final presentations made to the company management make this a packed class with a tremendous amount of work.  All part of the excitement for me and, most importantly, for the students.  And the final important component is that I pride myself on connecting my students, either as interns or full time employees, to meaningful jobs.