T.J. Whalen

General Partner & Managing Director

T.J. Whalen is General Partner and Managing Director at FreshTracks Capital, focusing his efforts on consumer opportunities for the fund. T.J. brings 25+ years of consumer product strategy, brand, marketing and sales leadership to FreshTracks.

T.J. was the Chief Strategy Officer for Keurig Green Mountain (GMCR), a $4.5+ billion consumer products, coffee and beverage manufacturer, which sold in 2016 for $13.9 billion. T.J. served in a variety of roles with Keurig Green Mountain over 13+ years, including Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Vice President of Marketing, Vice President of Foodservice, and Director of Brand and Market Development. He led the coffee and beverage business’s product and brand P&L’s, new product development, and strategic relationships, as well as all of the various marketing functions he built there to drive the company’s growth. When he joined in 2001, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters had less than $100 million in sales, and under his leadership grew by a factor of more than 45X, with a market cap growth of 140X. From 2000 to 2010 GMCR was the top performing public company in the country.

Prior to Keurig Green Mountain, T.J. held marketing, product and sales leadership roles at Patagonia, a leading apparel and outdoor gear manufacturer; Leo Burnett, a global advertising and marketing services agency; and Adventurous Traveler (acquired by Away.com), a direct marketer of adventure travel services.

T.J. serves on a number of boards, including Caledonia Spirits, SunCommon, Zero Gravity, NativeEnergy, and Ogee, and is board chair at 1% for the Planet. T.J. holds a B.A. in Economics and Education from Dartmouth College.