Derek Roulston is a third generation seed potato growers from the north western part of Ireland. Derek with his family moved to Kenya in 1998 to serve as missionaries with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. In 2009 he partnered with Kisima Farm in the role as technical advisor to their new seed potato production unit. Kisima Farm was one of the first private commercial seed producers in Kenya. Derek worked closely with CIP and managed trials on new varieties being presented for the national trials. He also established a demonstration farm in central Kenya highlighting best Farm practices for seed potato production and rotational crops.

In 2014 Derek studied with the Agri Food & Bio Science Institute in Northern Ireland focusing on the methodology used for trialing new potato varieties for their commercial usefulness. From 2016 to 2020 he assisted a number of potato projects with IFDC and IPM Potato Group in trialing new varieties in Kenya. Derek was involved in the formulation of the Dublin Declaration which was adopted by the World Potato Congres in 2022 and has been involved with the WPC as an international advisor since 2013.