Tyson exec Justin Whitmore exits for Keurig Dr. Pepper

Justin Whitmore, executive vice president of alternative proteins at Tyson Foods, is leaving the meat giant to become the chief strategy officer at Keurig Dr. Pepper at the end of the month.

Whitmore joined Tyson Foods in May 2017 as the company’s chief sustainability officer working out of the company’s Chicago offices. He was promoted to executive vice president in August 2017 and added the role of overseeing the company’s venture investing in addition to sustainability efforts. In May 2019, Whitmore was placed in charge of Tyson Foods’ alternative protein business and scaling the “Raised and Rooted” brand as well as exploring other protein options.

“We’re proud of the growth of our alternative protein products and ‘Raised & Rooted’ brand, and thank Justin for his leadership and the many contributions he made to the company. We remain fully committed to the business, and continue to focus on producing plant protein products in multiple forms across multiple brands, channels and geographies, and are excited about the wave of new products we plan to launch over the next 12 months,” Tyson Foods said Tuesday in a corporate statement.

Whitmore is credited with furthering Tyson Foods’ sustainability goals to reduce greenhouse gasses as well as accelerating its venture capital investments in alternative proteins and technologies that engage Tyson’s core meat processing business.

Prior to joining Tyson Foods, Whitmore served as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co., where he advised packaged goods companies on performance strategy and sustainability matters. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and a master’s in business administration from the University of Notre Dame where he serves on the corporate advisory board at the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame.

At Keurig Dr. Pepper, Whitmore will oversee strategy and consumer insights and innovation.