Derek Nelson

At Ovative, Derek Nelson is the Senior Director of Retail Media where he contributes to his partners’ success by providing industry-leading perspective on Marketing measurement strategies, tactics, and investments.  Derek is also a Retail Media Network veteran, with a broad perspective on leveraging 1st party data and owned media properties to expand revenue opportunities, while also building scalable, durable teams and systems. He also applies his experience while guiding Ovative’s own long-term measurement and investment strategies.

Before joining Ovative in 2022, Derek spent three years at Target’s retail media network business, Roundel.  While at Roundel, Derek led the development and implementation of Roundel’s data clean room offerings by partnering with Target’s largest vendors, data scientists, and engineers to unlock the untapped potential of Target’s first party data.  Prior to his time at Target, Derek was an early member of the Best Buy Ads team, developing the reporting, insights, and data analytics capabilities from the ground up, while building out adtech infrastructure to support the rapidly growing RMN business.  Derek’s background also includes both buy- and sell-side connected and linear TV, direct response campaign optimization, and e-commerce.

Derek holds an MBA from the Carlson School of Management as well as an Agile Product Owner certification.  He lives in Saint Paul, MN with his wife, two sons, and corgi, Digby.  When he is not working he enjoys exploring new restaurants, music & movie trivia, Formula 1, and bad 80’s action movies.