The global streaming giant Netflix has appointed Bozoma Saint John as its next Chief Marketing Officer. She is taking over as the Global CMO, and with this, Netflix adds one more high-profile Executive of Black origin to its senior management. Saint John will succeed Jackie Lee-Joe, Netflix’s current chief marketing officer, who’s leaving the OTT streaming giant citing personal reasons.
“I’m thrilled to join Netflix, especially at a time when storytelling is critical to our global, societal well-being,” stated Saint John in a statement released at the time of the announcement. “I feel honored to contribute my experience to an already dynamic legacy, and to continue driving engagement in the future.”
Bozoma Saint John’s appointment comes even as the companies in the US are seeking diversification of their workplaces. Bozomahas been quite vocal when it comes to inequality in the US Corporate sector.
Protests against police brutality and racism triggered by the demise of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man at the hands of US Police, have once again refueled the diversity debate in the US Corporate Boardrooms.
Earlier, Netflix announced allocating 2% of its cash holdings or around $100 Million, for the organizations and financial institutions in the US directly supporting the Afro-American communities in the nation.
Here are ten powerful quotes from this woman who’s been listed on Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People, who’s worked her way up on the corporate ladder, and shattered the glass ceiling. She minces no words when she states, “I’ve worked hard for my life. No one gave me anything.”
Follow Bozoma Saint John – the badassboz on Instagram as she shares a slice of her everyday life and redefines badassery.
The power of being Unapologetic
1. “If I can be in a position of power
and influence, and be able to make my present better, then I want to do
that.”
2. Saint John unabashedly stood by herself during her Uber exit and stated,
“First of all, let’s count the black women in C-suite positions in Silicon
Valley. Do you know any? So, an opportunity comes, I must take it. I must take
it. Because first of all, I do have something to prove. I have to hold the
door.”
3. “If you have a strong voice, jump in there.”
The power of calling yourself Bindass aka Bad***
4. “We have abilities to do more than one thing. We’re complex human beings. I can wear a leather dress and still have an 8-year old and wipe up the eggs that are on her face. Because we can do it all, absolutely.”
5. “There’s nothing more bad*** than being who you are … I am a force of nature in fierce stilettos.”
The power of making tough Decisions:
6. “It’s very personal to me and doesn’t work for everybody, but what I have found in my experience is that when I make pro and con lists, it’s usually because I am trying to talk myself out of a good idea or talk myself into a really bad one.”
The power of being Who You Are
7. “I’ve been told that I overshare. Sometimes I get criticized for it, but how else would I be if not all of me?”
8. “When I first walked into Uber, it was very difficult because people were unsure about what was going to happen – there was a real sense of powerlessness.”
The power to know Your Health Matters
9. “I love sleep so much. That’s the one thing I won’t sacrifice. I really cannot.”
10. “I don’t even know how to behave without my sleep. I would be a horrible person to be around – cranky.”
At present, Bozoma Saint John works at Endeavor – a global leader in the talent management and entertainment industry. She has been working here as the head of marketing since 2018. In her earlier roles, she has been associated with Pepsi-Cola North America as head of music and entertainment marketing group, head of consumer marketing for Apple Music and iTunes, and chief brand officer for Uber.
For marketing professionals reading this blog, here’s a tiny cherry on the top, three marketing quotes from the Netflix’s next CMO who carries a rich experience in the fields of marketing and tech:
1. “When I was growing up, the brands that were most powerful were people brands, like Michael Jackson or Madonna. They stood for something that, perhaps, wasn’t wholly who they were, which then became an image that they sold. That’s still a brand to me.”
2. We have to find ways to create content that folks want to see.
3. Bringing your whole self to work is the mantra for me as I sit in my office and do the work, and it’s also the mantra as I look out at the community that I’m trying to brand for Uber.
More power to you, Bozoma!