Netflix appoints Bozoma Saint John as CMO

Bozoma Saint John has left entertainment company Endeavor to become chief marketing officer at Netflix.

The former chief brand officer at Uber succeeds Jackie Lee-Joe, who is leaving Netflix just one year after her appointment for personal reasons.

Saint John started her career agency side in 2000 as a senior account executive at Spike DDB, before becoming senior marketing manager at PepsiCo North America in 2005.

After moving up the ranks to become PepsiCo’s head of music and entertainment marketing, Saint John joined Apple Music and iTunes in 2014 as head of consumer marketing, eventually landing the job in 2017 of chief brand officer at Uber, where she helped the business through a wave of scandals.

Two years ago, Saint John quit Uber to take up the chief marketing officer role at Endeavor.

"I’m thrilled to join Netflix, especially at a time when storytelling is critical to our global, societal well-being," Saint John said.

"I feel honored to contribute my experience to an already dynamic legacy and to continue driving engagement in the future."

Netflix gained more than double the volume of subscribers it was expecting in the first quarter of 2020 as lockdown measures were enforced across the globe.

Yesterday (Tuesday), Netflix came 26th in Kantar’s BrandZ Global Top 100 Most Valuable Brands ranking with a value of $45.9 billion after experiencing 31.8% growth year on year.

Ted Sarandos, chief operating officer at Netflix, added: "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."

Lee-Joe, who was a former chief marketing officer at BBC Studios, relocated to Los Angeles in July 2019 to replace Kelly Bennett, who retired aged 46 after six years at Netflix.