Executive Team
James Whittaker
CEO
Before founding The Ambitious Exec, James served as an economic consulting Director at Deloitte in NYC, playing a crucial role in the Global Hiring Team. He was responsible for hiring top talent across various sectors, including professional services, IT, marketing, government, sales, tax, and accounting. James is also the author of the Amazon bestselling book The Reverse Job Search Method, which has sold tens of thousands of copies worldwide. His vision is to ensure everyone works in careers they love, with fulfilling work and fair compensation, addressing and fixing the recruiting industry's challenges for mid-career professionals.
Amanda Whittaker
Co Founder
As Co Founder of The Ambitious Exec, Amanda focuses on building and nurturing professional communities. She brings extensive experience in strategy and management. Prior to this, Amanda played a key role in the global expansion of TED Conferences, connecting over 50,000 members and organizing impactful events worldwide. Her expertise supports her current role in empowering professionals to achieve career aspirations and facilitating seamless career transitions. Amanda is dedicated to addressing gaps in executive recruiting and helping clients realize their full potential, leveraging innovative approaches and guidance to ensure transformative career journeys and lasting success.
Chris Musano
VP of Operations
With 20 years of experience as a consulting executive, Chris has hired and led over 500 people across more than 20 companies. An exceptional business leader and internationally certified executive coach, Chris aligns the program with the broader market and career landscape. His expertise ensures that clients receive guidance tailored to current industry trends and professional development needs.
Brady Salcido
Sales Director
Jonathan Hawkins
Marketing Director
Jonathan brings extensive experience in strategic marketing and brand development. With a proven track record in driving growth through data-driven strategies, Jonathan is dedicated to amplifying The Ambitious Exec's mission and building connections. An Army Veteran and recipient of the Presidential Service Award, he is recognized for his impactful volunteer work and unwavering commitment to service.
Client Services Team
Robbie Cantrell
Program Advisor
Robbie has been helping clients achieve success for 8 years across various industries. Recently, he has assisted C-Suite executives at Fortune 50 organizations and U.S. Governors and Mayors. Robbie will guide you through The Ambitious Exec program, providing next steps and recommendations to ensure you get the most from your experience.
Sacha Mohan-Boodoo
Program Advisor
Sacha brings 15 years of client service leadership across industries, offering deep insights into business executive perspectives. As Program Advisor, she guides clients to ensure they receive the best value from the program tailored to their individual needs and goals, maximizing their experience and outcomes with personalized advice and strategic support.
Sandra Pacas
Program Administrator
Sandra ensures client service operations run smoothly, aiding client progress. Her background in finance and technology provides a detail-oriented and knowledgeable perspective, enabling her to effectively support and enhance the overall experience, while addressing any challenges and ensuring efficient, seamless service throughout their journey.
Executive Career Coaching Team
Jill Wilk
HR & Recruiting Expert
As a certified executive and career coach, Jill brings over 25 years of corporate senior HR leadership and recruitment expertise across industries, helping clients achieve clarity, focus, and solution strategies. With a lens towards navigating the human resources and recruitment process landscape, Jill focuses on client professional growth, job advancement, and career transition while inspiring confidence, awareness, and motivation.
Javier Vargas
Sr. Business & HR Executive
As a certified coach with 1,500+ hours of experience, Javier helps clients navigate change and seek clarity. With over 30 years of senior leadership at Apple and Adobe, and as Global HR leader at ManpowerGroup, he offers a unique perspective on talent acquisition. Javier’s extensive expertise empowers clients to achieve their goals with confidence, insight, and strategic guidance, fostering growth, resilience, and success in their professional journeys.
Osmary Torres
Change & Transformation Leader
With nearly two decades of hands-on change leadership, Osmary has guided companies of all sizes through transformation. As an executive coach, Osmary supports leaders in personal development, aligning values with career goals, and fostering a growth mindset that drives individual and organizational success. Her approach integrates strategic insight with personal coaching to create impactful, lasting change.
Holly Chen
HR Executive Leader
Holly is a certified executive coach with experience in marketing, finance, and HR across three continents. With roles including SVP, HR Business Partner in Fortune 500 companies, and Head of People for startups, she specializes in guiding senior leaders through transitions and transformations. Her deep understanding of organizational dynamics empowers individuals to unlock their potential and drive enduring success while eliminating past and future road blocks.
Referral Engine Coaching Team
Vlad Herescu
Job Search Automation Specialist
Vlad has a background in advertising, branding, and automation, transitioning from a copywriter in the ad industry. At The Ambitious Exec, he helps Executives set up and understand automated outreach systems, enabling them to scale job search efforts and generate daily conversations with key decision-makers. His expertise ensures efficient and effective engagement with targeted professionals increasing connections, engagment and most important, opportunities for Executives.
Josh Williams
Referral Engine Coach
Josh, a marketing professional with 14 years of experience, has worked with businesses from solopreneurs to Fortune 500 companies. Starting at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, he contributed to a 15% sales increase for the FedACH suite. As the Social Media and SEO Lead for Insight Consulting Group, he developed effective strategies. At The Ambitious Exec, Josh coaches clients on leveraging social media and automation tools for career advancement.
Resume Team
Stefanie Sher
Recruiting Leader & ATS Expert
Trevor Richfield
Executive Resume Specialist
With over 1,000 resumes crafted across various industries, Trevor helps clients build authentic professional brands that highlight their achievements and align with current industry trends. His expertise ensures that clients present themselves effectively, capturing the attention of potential employers and standing out in competitive job markets.
Toni Aston
Executive Resume Specialist
A dedicated resume writer with 5 years of experience, she crafts compelling resumes across various industries. Her passion is empowering individuals to succeed through tailored career narratives that highlight each client’s unique strengths and achievements, helping them stand out in competitive job markets and achieve their professional goals.
Marissa Lessman
Executive Resume Specialist
Marissa Lessman is a professional writer dedicated to helping others achieve their career goals. With nearly a decade in writing and degrees from Roosevelt University and DePaul University, she has certifications from PARW/CC and LinkedIn. Her 15-year career spans journalism and narrative writing, crafting targeted resumes for various industries.
Vanessa Renshaw
Executive Resume Specialist
With 4 years of experience designing resumes for high-performing executives, Vanessa excels in helping clients narrate their career stories. Formerly a licensed clinical therapist, she builds authentic connections, uncovers strengths, and supports clients in achieving their ultimate career goals. Her background enhances her ability to guide and inspire effectively.
Career Advisory Team
Scott Laney
Career Advisor
Scott spent over a decade in healthcare, specializing in surgical and laboratory roles. After working closely with recruiters, he discovered they could find roles but not always the best fit. He spent extensive time with hospital Executives and leadership teams in clinical reference labs, focusing on genetics and infectious disease testing. Now, he leverages this experience to guide clients through The Ambitious Exec intake process, helping them secure roles that truly match their expertise.
Jason Ferguson
Career Advisor
Jason has been advising Executives for over 20 years. As a former corporate attorney and military officer, he has provided counsel to C-Suite Executives, government officials, and military leaders on various topics, including career progression. He is renowned for his commonsense approach to complex problems and his deep understanding of the unique challenges and frustrations Executives face in a competitive job market and what actions must be taken to overcome those obstacles.
Andrew Compean
Career Advisor
With over a decade of expertise, Andrew has helped thousands of clients achieve their personal and professional goals. His entrepreneurial journey has equipped him with valuable insights and skills, enabling him to navigate challenges adeptly and inspire teams as a leader. Andrew is passionate about driving growth, fostering strong relationships, and delivering exceptional results through innovative strategies, dedicated support, and a commitment to excellence in all endeavors.
Scott McDougal
Career Advisor
Before joining The Ambitious Exec, Scott spent 15 years crafting advertising and marketing campaigns for top ad agencies and Fortune 500 companies. He has written and published books on strategic and creative communication, spoken at industry conferences, and coached private clients. Scott uses these skills to help prospective clients maximize their hidden value throughout every stage of an executive job search, enabling them to achieve their most ambitious career goals.
Cody Werho
Career Advisor
Before becoming a Senior Career Advisor with The Ambitious Exec, Cody led multiple 7- and 8-figure sales teams in the consulting and advertising sectors. His 7-year career has provided him with a deep understanding of communication and leadership, enabling him to guide clients in taking control of and scaling their careers effectively, ensuring they achieve their professional goals and realize their full potential through custom crafted strategies and expert insights.
Chris Salcido
Career Advisor
A seasoned executive coach and search consultant with over 30 years of experience, he specializes in delivering top-notch C-level career coaching. He guides professionals toward salaries up to $1.5 million, excelling in this niche field. Nationally recognized as a trusted advisor, advocate, and industry expert, he provides unparalleled insights and support to executives seeking to advance their careers and achieve their highest potential and professional aspirations, driving lasting success.
What Clients Say About Us
Brian Z
Healthcare Product Executive
For those who have not had a chance to attend The Hero’s Journey course, it is definitely worth the time investment! I had an excellent session today with Osmary and learned I had imposter syndrome when it comes to the job search. This is something I never would of have thought that I had a challenge with as I consider myself as a high performing leader.
Farid V
Chief BI Executive
Today’s workshop was absolutely riveting. Jill conducted an extremely productive and eventful discussion not only on the topic of the agenda (IRT) but also on certain aspects of the UVP and what to expect in Branding discussions.Several facets were clarified that I had doubts on and it gave me a better edge to re-visit certain aspects of my profile to pay better attention to them. Appreciate your time and efforts on this, Jill.
Daniel Z
Financial Services Managing Director
Trevor worked with me recently on upgrading my resume. His service was exceptional! I don't believe my resume has ever been this professional and well-written. It served to help me upgrade my LinkedIn profile as well. I strongly recommend Trevor should you need resume and/or LinkedIn profile support. He is top notch!
Shawn M
Chief HR Officer
Javier, I cannot even begin to thank you for all the support and hard work you did on my behalf. I learned so much! Let me know what we need to do next. I appreciate you very much!
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the website author and do not reflect the opinions of any other company, entity or individual. Furthermore, this website is not in any way affiliated or endorsed by any company, entity or individual that is mentioned on this site.
The Ambitious Exec is a career coaching, education and training company. We do not sell a business opportunity, “get rich quick” program or money-making system. We do not make specific earnings claims, efforts claims, or claims that our training will make you any money or provide any specific result. All material is intellectual property and protected by copyright. Any duplication, reproduction, or distribution is strictly prohibited.
The training provided is general in nature, and some strategies may not be appropriate for all individuals or all situations. Guarantee disclaimer: if you become a client, we will work with you for a period of up to 12 months to secure your next role. In our experience, this exceeds the time required to complete a successful high-level job search. We do not and cannot guarantee that you'll get hired by utilizing any of our resources. Salary increase statistic disclaimer: by reading or using this website or purchasing any product from us, we in no way claim or guarantee that your salary will be improved or that you will earn any money.
Statements and depictions are the opinions, findings, or experiences of individuals who have generally purchased education and training. We track satisfaction rates related to our services through voluntary, anonymous surveys from our clients.