Derek Gwaltney | Founder & Chief Executive Officer | Atlas Experiences
Derek Gwaltney is not the kind of leader who stumbled into his role. His path to becoming the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Experiences was shaped by years of discipline, a deep commitment to people, and a belief that the most meaningful work happens when strategy, creativity, and purpose come together. Today, Derek stands at the helm of one of the most exciting companies in the incentive travel and experiential engagement space, and his story is one that reflects the best qualities of leadership – not just in business, but in life. At EliteX, we are proud to have Derek Gwaltney as part of the edition: Trailblazing Veterans Driving Leadership Impact, 2026.
Growing up, Derek developed a strong sense of responsibility that would later define how he led teams and built organizations. His professional journey began taking shape in the United States Air Force, where he learned firsthand that leadership is not about rank or authority. It is about showing up consistently, earning the trust of the people around you, and always keeping the mission at the center of everything you do. Those early years in uniform gave him something that cannot be taught in a classroom – a framework for navigating adversity with calm and with purpose. When conditions were less than ideal, Derek learned to keep moving forward. When the situation demanded more than one person could deliver alone, he understood that trust and collective effort were the only path to success.
“Discipline creates trust. It shows people your leadership is steady.”
That military foundation did not stay behind when Derek transitioned into civilian life. It traveled with him into every boardroom, every client conversation, and every strategic decision he has made since. The values of integrity, discipline, service, and commitment became more than just words. They became the operating system through which Derek leads Atlas Experiences and the people who make up that organization every single day. Integrity, he believes, is essential because people need to know they can trust not just you, but your vision. Discipline matters because it is the thing that turns good intentions into credible results over time. Service is at the core of leadership because helping others succeed is ultimately what the role is about. And commitment is what carries you through the hard moments, the ones where the road is not smooth and the outcome is not guaranteed.
Derek was drawn to the events and experiences industry for reasons that go beyond business logic. He has always been drawn to work that brings people together in meaningful ways – experiences that do not just check a box but create real emotional connection. Whether it is strengthening a relationship between a company and its people, celebrating a milestone that deserves to be remembered, or delivering a moment that changes how someone feels about where they work and what they contribute, Derek has built Atlas Experiences around the idea that these things matter. That felt meaningful to him when he started, and it still does today.
Under his leadership, Atlas Experiences has grown into a company that delivers on that promise at scale. In 2025, the company was recognized as number 33 on the Inc. 5000 list and number 3 on the VET100, rankings that reflect the dedication, innovation, and commitment of the entire team. But for Derek, the rankings are not the point. They are the result of work that was already meaningful. One of the projects that brought the company significant recognition was the Living Lucky with Luke Combs national lottery promotion, a campaign that took lottery winners from across the country and brought them together for an exclusive private performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The campaign culminated in the awarding of a five-hundred-thousand-dollar grand prize to one lucky winner. What made that campaign matter to Derek was not the scale of it, or the coverage it received. It was watching someone’s life change in a single moment. It was seeing families celebrate together. It was being part of something that would stay with people for the rest of their lives. That is the kind of impact that continues to drive him and the Atlas team.
Derek’s view of leadership has evolved over the years, but its core has remained steady. In today’s world, he believes that strong leaders must be anchored in their values while staying genuinely open to change. The pace at which industries, technologies, and workplaces are shifting is faster than it has ever been. Leaders who cannot adapt will get left behind. But leaders who lose their values in the pursuit of relevance will lose something more important. Derek navigates that tension with clarity and with empathy – two qualities he considers essential for any leader who wants to earn the real respect of the people they serve. He also believes that knowing when to step back and let the team take the lead is not a sign of weakness. It is one of the truest expressions of trust a leader can show.
“Your service experience is not behind you. It continues to shape the way you lead.”
When challenges have come – and they have come – Derek has drawn on the same disciplines that got him through the toughest moments of his military service. He has navigated economic uncertainty, made difficult decisions with incomplete information, and led others through periods of rebuilding and significant change. None of it was easy. But he has always believed that those moments, as hard as they are, shape character in ways that quieter times simply cannot. The people who come through those crucibles tend to emerge with a sharper perspective and a stronger sense of what truly matters. Derek has carried those lessons forward, and he works to create space for the people around him to develop those same qualities.
His approach to motivating people during difficult situations is grounded and practical. He does not believe in empty rallying speeches or false optimism. What people need in hard moments is honesty about the challenge, genuine confidence in the team’s ability to respond, and empathy for what each person may be carrying personally and professionally alongside the professional pressure. Motivation, in Derek’s experience, often comes not from big moments but from small ones – from helping someone see the next step clearly, and from reminding them that they are not walking through it alone. That is the kind of leadership that builds loyalty that lasts.
Derek is also deeply committed to developing the next generation of leaders. He takes that responsibility seriously, not as an obligation but as something genuinely meaningful to him. His approach to mentorship is not about positioning himself as an authority with all the answers. It is about helping people think clearly, learn from real experience, and build real confidence in their own voice. He believes strongly in giving emerging leaders actual ownership and actual responsibility, because that is where the most meaningful development happens. You do not grow as a leader by watching. You grow by doing, by making decisions, by learning from the outcomes, and by being supported through that process by someone who believes in what you can become.
For veterans making the transition to civilian careers and business leadership, Derek’s message is both practical and encouraging. The skills veterans carry with them – resilience, discipline, the ability to solve problems under pressure, and a strong sense of commitment – translate powerfully into civilian leadership. The transition requires learning new languages and new systems, but it does not require abandoning what made you effective in uniform. If anything, Derek believes, those qualities become an advantage in environments where they are far less common. His advice is to stay humble, stay curious, and understand that service experience does not end when the uniform comes off. It continues to shape the way you see the world and the way you lead within it.
Looking ahead, Derek’s vision for Atlas Experiences is ambitious and purposeful in equal measure. He wants to continue growing the company into a recognized leader in incentive travel, promotional experiences, and experiential engagement, while maintaining the personalized service and genuine relationships that define what Atlas is. The focus for the coming years includes expanding strategic partnerships, developing new and innovative experience offerings, and helping more organizations understand how powerfully experiences can be used as tools for engagement, recognition, and growth. Beyond the business outcomes, Derek’s deeper goal is to create lasting opportunities for his team, to support the broader industry he has chosen to lead within, and to leave a positive impact on the communities and organizations Atlas touches around the world.
“Motivation comes from helping people see the next step and reminding them they are not alone.”
Derek Gwaltney is proof that the qualities forged in service do not stay on the base. They come with you. They show up in how you treat people, how you respond to pressure, how you build organizations that stand for something beyond the bottom line. At Atlas Experiences, those qualities have been the foundation of every success the company has earned. And if Derek Gwaltney has anything to say about it, they will continue to be the foundation of every success still to come.