This profile is part of the Wellth 30, a curated recognition of the leaders building enduring brands, communities, and culture.
James Whitemore, Chief Marketing Officer, Indeed
Every Indeed meeting room has an orange chair nobody sits in. It represents the job seeker — the person who is supposed to be at the center of every decision.
James Whitemore became Indeed’s CMO in 2025 and quickly changed the tone of the advertising. The brand had often used humor. Whitemore moved it toward empathy, on the logic that a labor market being reshaped by AI isn’t particularly funny if you are the person trying to find a job inside it.
The current “Jobs Need People” campaign makes the argument directly.
His own leadership philosophy comes from an earlier struggle: learning difficulties taught him to communicate clearly, think differently and lead with empathy.
The orange chair may be a prop, but the idea behind it isn’t.
