[UPDATED] Bozoma Saint John, one of Apple Music’s most visible executives, is resigning and exiting the company, multiple sources have now confirmed. Saint John had been Pepsi’s head of music and entertainment before joining Beats Music just a few months prior to Apple buying the music streamer and headphone manufacturer.
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Bozoma Saint John first gain prominence for moving Pepsi aggressively into music and entertainment. But it was her demo (video below) on stage at last year’s Apple worldwide developer conference as Apple Music’s head of Global Consumer Marketing that cemented her star status.
Now, almost exactly a year later, Boz is leaving the company. Axios, who first broke the story, also reported that her exit comes just after Apple shifted former HR head Denise Young Smith to a new role as VP of Diversity and Inclusion.
Apple representatives have declined to comment. The exact reasons for her departure and her next moves have not yet surfaced.
As one of only a very few women of color in executive positions at a major music or tech company, St John was also respected for her work a mentor and her careful curation of her personal brand in interviews and on social media, including Twitter and Instagram.
Here is here acceptance speech as Billboard’s 2016 Women In Music Executive Of The Year.