Bozoma Saint John has been appointed the new Chief Marketing Officer of streaming company, Netflix. She is expected at Netflix this August and she will be reporting to chief content officer Ted Sarandos. She is replacing Jackie Lee-Joe, who had only been at Netflix for 10 months and is leaving for personal reasons.
American-Ghanaian Bozoma is joining Netflix from entertainment and talent agency Endeavour where she was in charge of marketing since 2018. She also worked previously at Apple and Uber.
Bozoma tweeted this in response..”#WATCHmework has taken on a whole new meaning…. I’m so honored, excited and ready!!! LET’S GO TEAM NETFLIX!!! “
“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.” says Saint John
“Bozoma Saint John is an exceptional marketer who understands how to drive conversations around popular culture better than almost anyone,” Sarandos said. “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.”
This appointment is instructive in the face of the recent unrest in the US due to the killing of George Floyd. In the face of this event, US companies are looking to diversify their workplace, more importantly at the senior management levels
Just recently, Reddit appointed Michael Seibel to its board of directors when Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian stepped down to allow for a black candidate to take his position.
After this appointment, Netflix said it would invest in Black-owned banks in an effort to help close the wealth gap between Black and White America.
The streaming service announced plans to deposit 2% of its cash, or an estimated $100 million, into Black-owned financial institutions and community development organizations, which have a better track record of lending to minority borrowers than mainstream consumer banks
