Freshworks appoints Johanna Jackman as Chief People Officer

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) firm Freshworks has appointed Johanna Jackman as the company’s new Chief People Officer (CPO).

Jackman has led people teams at Pure Storage, LinkedIn, and Microsoft. In her previous role, she served as Chief People Officer at Airtable during a hypergrowth phase where she played a crucial role in scaling talent and culture to meet big business objectives. 

At Freshworks, Johanna will report to Chief Executive Officer Girish Mathrubootham and President Dennis Woodside. She will be responsible for the company's global human resources strategy and operations, which oversees HR business partnerships, talent acquisition and employee development, facilities, compensation and benefits, and corporate social responsibility programmes. She will also oversee diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. 

“JJ is a great addition to the Freshworks team,” said Mathrubootham. “Her successful track record at high-growth tech companies and her international expertise working with global teams make her the perfect fit to support our diverse employee base who drive the long-term success of our business.”

Earlier this month, two top-level executives announced their exits from the SaaS firm. Chief Human Resources Officer Suman Gopalan and Chief Marketing Officer Stacey Epstein are set to leave the company in September.

The Nasdaq-listed firm is currently evaluating potential candidates for the CMO position.

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The churn comes amid Freshworks reporting a 19% year-on-year rise in revenue at $145.1 million in the second quarter ending June 30. The company had raised its full-year 2023 financial outlook midpoint for adjusted operating profit to $28 million.

The Nasdaq-listed firm projects third-quarter revenue to range between $149-151.5 million.

“Freshworks has incredible potential to become a multi-billion dollar software company and I’m excited to join the leadership team to elevate its already strong company culture and include our current and future employees in the journey as we scale,” added Jackman. “This is a special place—a globally diverse organisation which in itself provides a massive benefit to our employees and customers alike.”