Bozoma Saint John has been named the chief marketing officer at Netflix, exiting her current CMO post at Endeavor, a position she has held since 2018.
Saint John will take over for Jackie Lee-Joe, the former BBC Studios CMO who was tapped to lead marketing at Netflix in July 2019. Lee-Joe had been filling a role previously held by Kelly Bennett, who stepped down from his role that year after six years at the streamer.
“Bozoma Saint John is an exceptional marketer who understands how to drive conversations around popular culture better than almost anyone,” said Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos. “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.” He added that Netflix was “grateful for Jackie Lee-Joe’s contributions and we wish her all the best.”
In her new role, Saint John will be responsible for marketing a global entertainment business that reaches nearly 183 million subscribers and releases a deep slate of original films and TV shows each year.
“I’m thrilled to join Netflix, especially at a time when storytelling is critical to our global, societal well-being,” said Saint John. “I feel honored to contribute my experience to an already dynamic legacy, and to continue driving engagement in the future.”
At Endeavor, Saint John was responsible for marketing efforts across its portfolio of brands, including agency WME and professional sports organization UFC. She joined Endeavor from Uber, where she served as chief brand officer. During her 20-year career, she has also held top marketing roles at Apple Music and iTunes, as well as Pepsi-Cola North America.
Like many Hollywood companies, Endeavor has been hit hard financially by the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic like the halt on film and television production and the shutting down of live events. In May, WME announced that 20 percent of its employees would either be laid off, furloughed or reduced to part-time during the pandemic.
Saint John is a high-profile loss for Endeavor after several top agents have exited WME in the past month, including Marc Geiger, a partner and the agency’s longtime worldwide head of music, and Theresa Kang-Lowe, who after nearly two decades at WME left to start her own management company.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
