Derek van der Plaat, MBA, CFA
DVP Capital was founded by Derek van der Plaat. Derek has over 20 years of corporate finance and M&A experience, both as an advisor and as an owner-entrepreneur.
Derek started his career at CIBC Wood Gundy where clients included Allied Signal, Praxair, GoodYear Tires, and Planters Peanuts as well as many owner-operated private companies.
Operational leadership experience includes co-founding and leading a digital media company called Moontaxi Media, which focused on digital media streaming and music downloads. As a result of a partnership with Microsoft’s Windows Media division, Moontaxi.com became a top ten internet radio destination (as measured by Arbitron) in North America.
In 2003 Moontaxi launched the Puretracks music download service, the first in Canada to legally sell music online in association with the recording industry and leading distribution partners such as MSN, AOL and TELUS. Moontaxi secured investment capital from strategic investors including Universal Music, Sony, EMI, Entertainment One and Standard Broadcasting and was sold a strategic acquirer in 2006.
Derek holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from McGill University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Concordia University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He writes a blog at Private Company Mergers and Acquisitions is an active speaker, presenter, and writer and can be followed on LinkedIn and Twitter.