Derek Heckendorn

Derek Heckendorn has a diverse work experience in the financial sector. Derek currently works at Palmetto as the Chief Capital & Business Development Officer and Head of LightReach, where they oversee the establishment and day-to-day operations of LightReach, which is Palmetto's consumer finance and long-term asset ownership platform. Derek is also responsible for capital raising and structured finance functions at Palmetto.

Prior to their role at Palmetto, Derek worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where they served as the Co-Head of Climate & Sustainability Investment Banking, providing advisory services to early-stage and emerging growth climate and sustainability clients. Derek also held the position of North America Head of Renewables Banking, focusing on developing and expanding the renewables banking vertical in North America.

Before joining Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Derek worked at Bank of America, where they held the position of Managing Director. In this role, they had a diverse set of responsibilities and worked with energy, power, renewables, and chemical-based multinational corporates.

Derek began their career at J.P. Morgan as a Vice President in Treasury Services, where they worked for four years.

Throughout their career, Derek has demonstrated expertise in corporate finance, investment banking, and renewable energy, gaining a strong foundation in various financial products and client advisory services.

Derek Heckendorn earned their Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Law from Lafayette College, where they attended from 2005 to 2009. Prior to that, they also attended Haddonfield High School.