Derek J. Leathers is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Werner Enterprises. Leathers has more than 30 years of experience in the transportation and logistics industry and 25 years of experience with Werner.
Throughout his tenure at Werner, he has held integral executive management roles leading multiple organizational service offerings, including the establishment and development of Werner’s Mexico cross-border operations; oversight for the asset operating groups; and the launch of Werner Global Logistics, which encompassed transportation management and freight movement within intermodal, ocean, air, and brokerage.
In May of 2021, Werner’s Board of Directors appointed Leathers to Chairman, along with his current title of CEO. Beyond his leadership at Werner, Leathers plays pivotal roles across various industry and community platforms. In addition to serving as Second Vice Chairman of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), he also serves as Chairman of the American Transportation Research Institute and sits on ATA's Executive Committee. Furthermore, he is a member of the Executive Board of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors for SkyWest, the Executive Committee for United Way of the Midlands, and the Board of Trustees for Creighton University.
Leathers is the Founder and National Director of PlaySmart, a non-profit organization helping underserved 5th- through 8th-grade students realize their academic and life potential through sports.
Prior to joining Werner in 1999, Leathers was one of the first foreign members of Mexico's trucking association and was based out of Mexico City for several years. Leathers holds an economics degree from Princeton University.