Holly Whelan PhD

Holly Whelan PhD FRSPH Founder and Company Director Habit Partners® | The Younger Lives Group

Holly Whelen: Co-Founder of Habit Partners® and Younger Lives

Holly Whelen is a dynamic force in behaviour change. She leverages her extensive background in academia, consumer marketing, and business to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

As the co-founder of Habit Partners® and Younger Lives, Holly is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals develop sustainable habits that promote well-being and longevity.

Academic and Professional Journey

Holly's journey began with science, earning a first-class biology degree and then a PhD in neuroscience. Despite her initial academic path, Holly soon realised that her aspirations extended beyond the laboratory.

She transitioned into the corporate world through the Unilever management trainee program and embarked on a successful career managing multimillion-dollar global brands such as Persil, Comfort, Flora, and the Unilever corporate brand.

After a decade at Unilever, Holly sought to merge her scientific knowledge with her marketing expertise. She joined the Unilever New Business Unit, where she spearheaded initiatives to build new health and wellness businesses.

In this role, she met Dr. Mark Cobain, her future business partner. Their shared vision led to Habit Partners® and Younger Lives founding in 2014.

Habit Partners® and Younger Lives

Under Holly's leadership, Habit Partners® and Younger Lives have become leaders in real-world behaviour change.

The companies offer:

Commercial Behaviour Change Consultancy: Assisting clients in developing and evaluating behaviour change programs that yield significant commercial and health benefits.

Health & Wellbeing Programs: Creating engaging and effective programs for employees, consumers, and patients designed to foster healthy habits and improve quality of life. Notable programs include Life Age® for the Workplace, The Younger Living Edit, Heart Age, and Diabetes Age.

Since their inception, these initiatives have reached millions globally, partnering with prominent organizations such as Movember, Weight Watchers, Cleveland Clinic, Bupa, Saga, AXA, Royal DSM, Unilever, NHS Hospital Trusts, Singapore Heart Foundation, and the National University of Singapore.

Additional Contributions

Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Holly is a dedicated educator and mentor. She teaches at the School for Social Entrepreneurs and actively participates in several female entrepreneur networks. Her previous roles include CEO of Heart Age, Director of Global Heart Health at Unilever, and Director of the Unilever Corporate Brand.

Summary

With over 20 years of experience in consumer health, wellness, and behaviour change, Holly Whelen continues to inspire and drive positive impact through her innovative approach. Her unique blend of scientific insight and marketing acumen positions her as a leading expert in social marketing and health communications, and she is committed to making a lasting difference in the world.