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Wearable health technology company WHOOP has appointed Dirk-Jan “DJ” van Hameren as its new Chief Marketing Officer, as the company’s global membership base surpasses three million.
Van Hameren (pictured right) spent more than three decades at Nike, rising from the mailroom at the company’s European headquarters to become Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, leading Nike’s worldwide marketing organisation.
He also represented the Netherlands as a track cyclist at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Rapid Growth Driving The Hire
The appointment comes during a period of accelerating growth for WHOOP. The company added its most recent one million members in just seven months.
International membership has grown more than 11 times since January 2023, and 58 per cent of members now live outside the United States.
The company is also reaching a broader demographic. Teen membership has grown more than 10 times since January 2023, women’s membership has more than doubled over the past year, and membership among adults over 60 has increased more than 130 per cent year over year.
WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed (pictured left) framed the hire as part of the company’s ambitions beyond technology.
“The next great health company will do more than deliver breakthrough technology,” Ahmed explained. “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.”
Van Hameren’s Vision
At WHOOP, van Hameren will lead global marketing across brand, creative, international markets, media, athlete and sports partnerships and product storytelling.
Van Hameren pointed to the scale of the opportunity as the key drawcard.
“What attracted me to WHOOP was the scale and importance of the opportunity,” he noted. “The company has earned credibility with elite athletes and built an 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.”
A Career Built At Nike
Before becoming Nike’s Chief Marketing Officer, van Hameren served as Global Vice President and General Manager of Nike Sportswear, where he led $7 billion in Nike Sportswear revenue growth and helped drive franchises including Air Max, Air Force 1 and Tech Fleece.
During his time at Nike, he led the ideation and execution of the Livestrong initiative, the “Dream Crazy” campaign and the company’s global marketing for the 2004, 2012 and 2024 Olympic Games.
Van Hameren has been recognised by Campaign US CMO 50 and Forbes’ World’s Most Influential CMOs list. After leaving Nike, he co-founded Superconnector Sports, launched advisory firm Mailroom Marathon 7 and serves as an Operating Advisor to Arctos Partners.
About WHOOP
WHOOP provides a wearable membership designed to help users manage health across sleep, recovery, strain, fitness and longevity. The platform includes an FDA-cleared ECG, a Healthspan longevity feature, Blood Pressure Insights and Advanced Labs blood biomarker analysis.
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The company claims that people who wear WHOOP daily log more than 90 additional minutes of exercise per week, get over two extra hours of sleep and have 10 per cent higher heart rate variability.
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Boston, WHOOP has raised more than $900 million in venture capital, ships to 56 countries and operates in six languages.
Last Updated on July 10, 2026 by Nick Ross
