about derek

Colonel (Retired) Derek Jones, U.S. Army, is the Chief Executive Officer of Valens Global and a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret. At Valens, Derek leads a variety of large-scale projects, conducts business development, and provides client services as a subject matter expert in hybrid warfare; special operations sensitive activities; strategy, organization, and leader development; and national security issues.

Before joining Valens, Derek spent 26 years in the U.S. military leading high-performance teams around the globe and in combat to solve our Nation’s toughest national security problems. Derek served as a senior executive during his last military assignment as the Deputy Director of a primarily civilian interagency directorate led by a senior executive service civilian providing U.S. policy makers with global strategic options. He has commanded up to the battalion level, leading a one-of-a-kind U.S. Army battalion that conducted operations worldwide, as well as commanding a Special Forces Company in combat.

Additionally, Derek served as the Deputy Commander for a brigade-equivalent special operations task force conducting regional operations and support to combat operations in theater. Derek is also an experienced strategic and organizational planner, having served as a theater special operations command (TSOC) Chief of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, and as a Future Plans Chief for a Special Forces Group and a combined and joint special operations task force in combat.

Derek is a qualified instructor, facilitator, and course developer, and has trained, coached, and mentored all-ranks and grades of service members from all branches and civilian servants within the Department of Defense and the interagency. He is school trained in framing and solving complex problems and leading in complex environments as a graduate of both the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies and the U.S. Army War College. Derek holds four master’s degrees, all with honors.