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Hi, I am Derek

Derek Ross

Field Chief Technology Officer at TrueMark

I am a seasoned technical professional that has excelled in a diverse set of industry verticals. Currently, I am the lead customer facing executive at TrueMark. I have been a technical leader in sales, software development, consulting, and release engineering organizations using my unique experiences and skill sets to build creative solutions. I am a veteran of the US Army Special Forces, having earned the Green Beret. My diverse experiences have groomed me to be a better leader, technologist, and teammate.

Certified Kubernetes Administrator
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
AWS Certified Security - Specialty
Leadership
Digital Transformation
Delivery Modernization

Skills

Experiences

1
TrueMark

October 2024 - Present

Salt Lake City, UT

TrueMark is a leader in cloud-first architectures, compliance, governance, and modernization strategies, with a focus on AWS services.

Field Chief Technology Officer

October 2024 - Present

Responsibilities:
  • Lead customer-facing technical teams supporting AWS greenfield and existing customers across many verticals.
  • Provide guidance on hybrid networks, compliance, governance, cloud-first architectures, cost optimization, modernization, and CICD patterns.
  • Participate in conferences, meetups, and onsite customer visits for hands-on support and strategic guidance.
  • Develop code templates, architect new solutions, and facilitate collaboration to enhance services provided to our customers.
Amazon Web Services

September 2022 - September 2024

Salt Lake City, UT

AWS is the world’s most comprehensive and widely adopted cloud platform, offering over 200 fully featured services.

Senior Solutions Architect - Higher Education

September 2022 - September 2024

Responsibilities:
  • Led enterprise accounts for R1 research institutions and state agencies, guiding them through digital transformation and cloud migrations.
  • Specialized in containerization and modernizing applications using AWS services like Bedrock and SageMaker.
  • Advised C-Level executives on their digital transformation journeys, focusing on research computing and enterprise applications.
2
3
Opsera

October 2021 - September 2022

San Jose, CA

Opsera is a continuous orchestration platform for DevOps, helping enterprises automate CI/CD pipelines and software delivery.

Founding Solutions Engineer - DevOps Consultant

October 2021 - September 2022

Responsibilities:
  • Developed technical demonstrations, pipelines, and SDLC architecture training for customers.
  • Led hiring and growth of SE teams and provided product feedback to improve customer experience.
  • Focused on building a customer-centric practice through blogs, videos, and conference talks.
Browserstack

January 2020 - October 2021

San Francisco, CA

Browserstack is a cloud web and mobile testing platform for developers, empowering teams to test apps across multiple devices and browsers.

Lead Solutions Engineer - CICD SME

January 2020 - October 2021

Responsibilities:
  • Met with strategic clients to develop, prototype, and deliver solutions for test automation.
  • Delivered presentations at global conferences and meetups, acting as a technical evangelist.
  • Led redesigns of enterprise release engineering processes with a focus on DevOps methodologies.
4
5
Sauce Labs

February 2018 - January 2020

San Francisco, CA

Sauce Labs provides a cloud-hosted platform for automated testing of web and mobile applications.

Sr. Solutions Engineer - DevOps Consultant

July 2019 - January 2020

Responsibilities:
  • Delivered technical content and examples, troubleshooting test automation for clients.
  • Acted as an SME for Sales Engineers, providing advanced training and support globally.
Sr. Solutions Engineer

February 2018 - July 2019

Responsibilities:
  • Prototyped and delivered technical solutions for strategic clients, improving the customer experience.
  • Acted as a liaison between customers and the product team to drive best practices and new solutions.
T-Mobile Digital Delivery

March 2017 - February 2018

Bothell, WA

T-Mobile is a major wireless carrier, delivering digital and DevOps transformations to improve software delivery processes.

Technical Product Owner - Enterprise Delivery Pipeline

November 2017 - February 2018

Responsibilities:
  • Led strategy, vision, and prioritization for DevOps transition in software delivery lifecycle.
  • Focused on transforming tools and processes for source control, build, and deployment.
Sr. DevOps Engineer

March 2017 - November 2017

Responsibilities:
  • Architected DevOps solutions for transitioning monolithic applications to cloud-native architectures using AWS and Pivotal Cloud Foundry.
6
7
GE Aviation, Digital Engineering Solutions

January 2014 - February 2017

Cincinnati, OH

GE Aviation is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components, and digital aviation solutions.

DevOps Engineer/ScrumMaster

January 2014 - February 2017

Responsibilities:
  • Led the adoption of CI/CD models, utilizing Jenkins, Docker, Artifactory, and GitHub for digital engineering tools.
  • Provided agile coaching during transitions from waterfall to agile project management.
US Army Special Forces

October 2005 - March 2013

Various International Locations

The U.S. Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, specialize in unconventional warfare, direct action, and foreign internal defense.

Special Forces Medical Sergeant

October 2005 - March 2013

Responsibilities:
  • Provided medical expertise and supported operations in austere environments across Europe, the Middle East, and South America.
  • Led host nation forces, developing training plans and providing leadership for up to 360 troops.
8

Education

Williams College of Business
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration - Management Information Systems
John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School
Special Forces Qualification Course
Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center
Special Forces Medical Sergeants Course