Netflix is bringing in Bozoma Saint John to serve as its new Chief Marketing Officer. She will replace Jackie Lee-Joe.
Saint John will start in that role in August, making her the third CMO for the platform in the last year. Lee-Joe, was a former marketing officer of BBC Studios and when she joined, she replaced long-time Netflix CMO Kelly Bennett in September 2019. Bennett left the company after a seven-year stint.
Saint John arrives as the company faces increasing competition from new streamers like Disney+, HBO Max, and NBCUniversal’s Peacock. She also arrives when companies are looking to diversify their employees on all levels including executive levels.
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An area the marketing veteran has been very vocal about. In a statement, Saint John expressed her excitement in joining the company.
I’m thrilled to join Netflix, especially at a time when storytelling is critical to our global, societal well-being. I feel honored to contribute my experience to an already dynamic legacy, and to continue driving engagement in the future.
Her sentiments were responded by high praise from Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.
Bozoma Saint John is an exceptional marketer who understands how to drive conversations around popular culture better than almost anyone. As we bring more great stories to our members around the world, she’ll define and lead our next exciting phase of creativity and connection with consumers.
Her predecessor Jackie Lee-Joe is leaving the company for personal reasons. She has been in Australia with her family since the start of the pandemic. The exit of Lee-Joe is an amicable one, and on her, Sarandos said that “Everyone at Netflix is grateful for Jackie Lee-Joe’s contributions and we wish her all the best.”
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“I’m so proud to have led this team and all that we have achieved together during such an extraordinary time,” Lee-Joe said in a statement. “Fostering conversations about our films and shows that brought people together all around the world. I wish everyone at Netflix all the very best.”
Bozoma “Boz” Saint John is joining Netflix from Endeavor, where she has served as CMO since 2018.
Saint John’s nearly 20-year career spans multiple industries including music and entertainment, consumer packaged goods, fashion, sports and automotive.
Prior to Endeavor she worked at Uber as Chief Brand Officer; was Head of Global Consumer Marketing for Apple Music and iTunes (including iTunes movies, iBooks and Apple News), and before that head of the Music and Entertainment Marketing Group at Pepsi-Cola North America.
Her experience at the intersection of marketing and culture is unparalleled. Her first full-time job was working as an assistant to Spike Lee. It was on her suggestion that Beyonce headlined the half-time show at Superbowl XLVII in 2013.
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Saint John was born to Ghanaian parents in the United States, moved back to Ghana while still an infant and then back to the United States at age 12.
Speaking about her childhood in Colorado Springs, Saint John said of immersing herself in pop culture, “Part of it was also the need to fit in, and so trying to find the points of connection…it doesn’t really matter if somebody doesn’t hold the same belief systems as you or doesn’t come from the same place that you do. There is going to be some connection. You just have to find it.” That skill has clearly served her well as a marketer.