WHOOP has appointed Dirk-Jan “DJ” van Hameren as its Chief Marketing Officer, bringing in one of the most prominent figures in global sports marketing as the company passes 3 million members worldwide.
Van Hameren spent 30-plus years at Nike, joining as a mailroom worker at the company’s European headquarters and leaving as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, where he oversaw the brand’s worldwide marketing organisation.
During his tenure he led the Dream Crazy campaign, the Livestrong initiative, and Nike’s global marketing for the 2004, 2012, and 2024 Olympic Games.
He also served as Global Vice President and General Manager of Nike Sportswear, where he led $7 billion in revenue growth across lines including Air Max and Air Force 1. Before his business career, van Hameren competed for the Netherlands as a track cyclist at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.
At WHOOP, he will lead brand, creative, international markets, media, athlete and sports partnerships, and product storytelling.
The hire comes at a notable moment for the company. WHOOP added its most recent million members in seven months, and international membership has grown more than 11x since January 2023.
Today, 58 per cent of its members live outside the United States. The company also says teen membership has grown more than 10x over the same period, women’s membership has more than doubled in the past year, and membership among adults over 60 is up more than 130 per cent year over year.
“The next great health company will do more than deliver breakthrough technology. It will also inspire people to take control of their health every day. DJ has spent his career building brands that shape culture and motivate millions of people, and I’m excited for him to bring that experience to WHOOP,” Will Ahmed, Founder and CEO of WHOOP said in a statement.
“What attracted me to WHOOP was the scale and importance of the opportunity. The company has earned extraordinary credibility with elite athletes and built an incredibly engaged, global community of more than three million members. But I believe we’re still at the very beginning. Proactive health will become one of the defining categories of our generation. WHOOP will build the global brand that defines it,” van Hameren added.
Before joining WHOOP, van Hameren co-founded Superconnector Sports, launched an advisory firm called Mailroom Marathon 7, and serves as an Operating Advisor to Arctos Partners.
