In 2016, at Apple’s developers conference, a Black woman in a bright outfit walked onto the stage to demonstrate Apple Music and started the audience singing along. Bozoma Saint John had arrived as a public figure in tech.
Saint John was born in Connecticut to Ghanaian parents and spent part of her childhood in Ghana before her family settled in Colorado. She has spoken often about her Ghanaian heritage and her experience as an immigrant child in America.
Pepsi
After studying at Wesleyan University, Saint John worked in advertising and joined PepsiCo, where she led music and entertainment marketing, working on campaigns with major stars.
Beats and Apple
She joined Beats Music, which Apple acquired in 2014, and became head of global consumer marketing for Apple Music. Her 2016 stage appearance at Apple’s conference made her one of the most talked-about executives in tech.
Uber and Endeavor
In 2017, Uber hired her as chief brand officer as the company faced a crisis over its workplace culture and the DeleteUber boycott campaign. Months later, the founder, Travis Kalanick, resigned as chief executive, and Saint John became one of the public faces of the effort to repair the company’s image. She later became chief marketing officer of Endeavor, the entertainment and talent company.
Netflix
In 2020, Saint John became chief marketing officer of Netflix, overseeing its global marketing. She left in 2022, after about two years in the role.
Grief
Saint John’s husband, Peter Saint John, died of cancer in 2013, leaving her a single mother to their young daughter. She has spoken publicly about grief and resilience, and her memoir, The Urgent Life, published in 2023, reflects on loss and on living fully.
Television
She appeared on the reality series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, bringing her to a new audience.
Ghana
Saint John has visited Ghana often and encourages investment and cultural connections between Ghana and the diaspora. She has been celebrated in Ghana as a role model.
Style
She is known for bold fashion, including African prints and bright colours, which she wears as a statement of identity in corporate settings.
She has worked at some of the most famous brands in the world. Through all of it, she has made a point of bringing Ghana with her.
