Matt Derr

As senior vice president of Corporate Development at kyu, I manage acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and partnerships for kyu and all of our member companies.

Our goal is to build a dynamic global network of diverse capabilities that provides world-class resources to our clients along with enhanced service offerings, while at the same time enriching the lives of our staff and our communities through the sei-katsu-sha philosophy.

I share in the core principles that underpin kyu’s M&A approach, which are built on a foundation of trust, transparency, respect, and fairness.  Every investment requires a unique approach, and each one is vitally important to the continued growth and success of the collective. I go out of my way to ensure that our acquisitive growth aligns culturally and strategically with kyu’s purpose and core values, while also generating corporate value for our stakeholders.

I also consult with teams on high-priority operational & process improvement areas in the post-deal environment. This requires coordination with many external advisors for deal support in both local and foreign jurisdictions, while collaborating closely with my kyu colleagues inside the collective.

I earned my degree in accounting from Villanova University and then began my career in auditing at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. From there, I’ve held various financial leadership roles in the creative services industry. I learned quickly that agency operations function most successfully when trust and transparency facilitate the best collaboration between all staff. Understanding the details of client finance, corporate accounting, and financial reporting to C-Suite has given me the practical experience and perspective required to thrive in this function for kyu.