Our Leadership - Philz Coffee

Mahesh has served as our Chief Executive Officer since joining the company in September 2021. Prior to joining Philz Coffee, Mahesh served as the Chief Operations Officer and Chief Development Officer at Wingstop. Mahesh also served in various Strategy, Operations, Finance, and Marketing roles at CEC Entertainment (parent of Chuck E. Cheese’s and Peter Piper Pizza), Greatwide Logistics, Reddy Ice, and FedEx Office.

Adam joined Philz in May 2021 as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Philz, Adam spent 15 years at Caribou Coffee and Coffee & Bagel Brands where he grew from multi-unit field leadership to the SVP of Operations. At Caribou, he led the integration Management Office for the merger of Caribou Coffee, Einsteins Bagels and Bruegger’s Bagels. Adam began his career working through the leadership ranks in full service and fine dining restaurants with the Kruse and Muer restaurant group out of Detroit, MI.

Patti has led real estate and growth at Philz since January 2022 as Chief Development Officer. She brings a deep understanding of the restaurant industry, with a proven track record of leading real estate, leasing, construction, and design. Prior to joining Philz Coffee, she was VP of Development for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and VP of Leasing at Subway. Patti has more than 25 years of combined experience in the food & beverage industry including key development roles at Peet's Coffee & Tea, Burger King, and Tony Roma's.

Andy started with Philz in May 2022. He is responsible for technology, marketing, supply chain and loss prevention. Prior to Philz, Andy held executive positions for Torchy’s Tacos, California Pizza Kitchen, and Real Mex Restaurants. He has also consulted with various brands including Sweetgreen, Pieology, Homestate Tacos, and Burger Lounge. He has served in various leadership, technical, operational, and marketing roles in the insurance, entertainment, and petroleum industries.

Andi is a 30-year, specialty-coffee veteran who joined Philz in April 2014. She has traveled to coffee origin extensively, published numerous trade journal articles, and lectured globally on many topics in the coffee sector and more recently in sustainability. She has held many leadership and board roles within the broader specialty coffee industry and is currently serving as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity.

Linda joined Philz in September of 2022 and leads the Accounting team as our VP Controller. She has over 25 years of accounting and finance experience in both private and public companies. Linda has extensive restaurant experience from her positions at California Pizza Kitchen, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Tao Group, and Elephant Bar Restaurant.

Jenn leads the People & Culture team at Philz. Joining Philz in September 2018, she brings over 25 years of HR and operational experience to Philz. In her previous roles as Regional Director of People Operations and Sr. Director of People Innovation at Joie de Vivre Hotels, Jenn led the HR functions and the HR technology transformation. In addition, Jenn has worked in multiple roles in operations at major hotel brands.

Jeff joined Philz in November 2021 and he leads the Financial Planning & Analytics (FP&A) and Strategy functions. In Jeff’s most recent experience, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Direct Access Capital, a specialty finance company operating in the residential mortgage market. In addition, he spent 12 years at FedEx Office in a variety of roles including Strategy & Operations Growth, Chief of Staff, and Real Estate Development.

Jessica joined Philz in October 2024 to lead our Marketing team, bringing with her a love for Philz that started back in 2010 when she first moved to California. Jessica has a fantastic balance of experience, with over 25 years in marketing, innovation, eCommerce, and 10 years in the coffee industry. She has held key roles at Peet’s, Campbell’s, Gump’s San Francisco, and Accenture, and taught Design Thinking and Innovation at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.