Derek Smart

Derek Smart is an accomplished technology professional with extensive experience in software engineering and development leadership. Currently serving as the Applied AI Team Lead at Automattic since August 2014, Derek Smart empowers users to leverage AI for building and publishing. Previously, Derek Smart held several key positions at Jetpack.com, including Head of Development and Engineering Platform Lead, overseeing multiple teams responsible for foundational infrastructure across Jetpack, WordPress.com, and WooCommerce. Additional roles include Engineering Team Lead, where Derek Smart managed distributed development teams and code maintenance, as well as Code Wrangler, focusing on infrastructure and development tooling. Earlier career experiences include serving as a Software Engineer at Hotchkiss Consulting Group and a Web Developer at ID Marketing and Events.