Derek Hennecke's background with Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing (GRAM) dates back to 2017. He has been part of GRAM's expansion, which has grown from one facility to four. Derek focuses on maintaining continuity and operational stability across GRAM while continuing to scale up CDMO operations. He is data-driven, results-oriented, and encourages a collaborative leadership style based on extensive experience bringing together highly technical teams.

Derek is the executive chairman of the boards for Microsize and Particle Dynamics and serves as a board director for several other Arlington Capital Partner companies, including GRAM. Previously, he was the founder and CEO of an international CDMO, Xcelience, and has held various leadership positions at DSM across The Netherlands, Mexico, and Egypt. Derek has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Alberta, an MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University in the Netherlands, and a Master of Science in Biology from Harvard University.