July Member Spotlight: Deryl Heitman
by Larissa Melo Pienkowski
Recently, we had the exciting opportunity to catch up with Deryl Heitman, the Business Relationship Owner (BRO) of DISCOUNT TIRE and one of the Vice Chairs of the BRM Council. As an employee of DISCOUNT TIRE for nearly 17 years, along with various other companies such as Lockheed Martin, World Access Service Corporation, and the U.S. Air Force, Deryl is no stranger to the world of IT. He comes to us widely accomplished in areas such as programming, software development management, data and solutions architecture, and developing people’s understanding of technology.
When asked about what he loves best about business relationship management, Deryl’s face lights up. “Looking at the strategic direction of the organization and helping to put together the roadmap for organizing it,” he responds, “and, of course, building and strengthening new and existing relationships with people both inside and outside the organization.” He reveals that he is inspired in large part by Bruce Halle, the owner of DISCOUNT TIRE, who has always emphasized a values-driven approach to building and managing the company. “I have worked at, and left, companies with which my values did not align…[but] at DT, I’ve never needed or been asked to compromise them.”
We’re excited that Deryl’s values align with our own here at BRM Institute, too. As one of the Vice Chairs on the BRM Council, Deryl has worked tirelessly alongside Stephanie, Arnie, Terrence, and Jeremy to learn more about business relationship management and bring this knowledge back to his own BRM practice. His commitment to building and strengthening relationships is evident when asked about what he values most about his BRM Institute membership. “Being new to the BRM space, the opportunity to interface and learn from more experienced BRMs has been invaluable,” Deryl explains.
When Deryl isn’t adding business value to DISCOUNT TIRE by defining a demand intake process, establishing an IT portfolio, and implementing streamlined processes for business cases—among other accomplishments!—you might have to search high and low for him. In his free time, Deryl likes to spend time with friends and family while hiking, going to the beach, and riding his motorcycle and mountain bike.
We’re thrilled to have Deryl as a Vice Chair of the BRM Council and a member of BRM Institute. Read more about the benefits of becoming a member here!