Apple Music's 'Head Diva' Bozoma Saint John Speaks at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit

[MacRumors]

Apple Music global marketing executive Bozoma Saint John gave a brief interview at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit on Tuesday where she spoke about how self-confidence was crucial in her rise to prominence at Cupertino.

Known as "Boz" to her friends, Saint John joined the Apple team when the company acquired Beats Music in 2014. After her fun and memorable on-stage demonstration of the new Apple Music features at WWDC 2016 - not to mention her appearance in a recent Apple Music ad alongside senior Apple VP Eddy Cue - she has since become the recognized "head diva" for Apple's music services.

Emigrating from Ghana to Colorado at the age of 13, Saint John told technology reporter Leena K Rao that her height for such a young age and her skin color made it all but impossible to hide amongst her peers, but it taught her early on the importance of self-confidence.

"I couldn't hide, there wasn't a choice to do that," Saint John said. "So the choice was do you try to do what everybody else was doing? I couldn't be blond, I couldn't be white. I just couldn't be anything else, and so it meant that I had to become just all of everything that I have."

​

The experience of moving to the U.S. as a child meant that she embraced who she was early on, she said, which helped put her on course for success, beginning at Pepsi, moving on to join Beats, and now finding herself at Apple. At 13, she said she learned what it meant to walk into a room and "not care when everybody else turned around" and looked at you. "And here I am," she said.

Article Link: Apple Music's 'Head Diva' Bozoma Saint John Speaks at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit

 

[canny]

I thought it was just Cook and Schiller, but it looks like there's another Bozo at Apple.

 

[ck2875]

She's so powerful that you could even hear the crickets trying to rap along to Sugarhill Gang when she tried to get the developers to "rap along" at WWDC.

 

[miknos]

Another victim of "white oppression" who benefit from everything that the "white men" invented. Show some gratitude instead of perpetuating racism.

It doesn't matter how good she is. Articles like this makes her look like she's there to fill quotas. Specially all this "diversity" campaign.

What about showing her achievements instead of playing victim?

 

[Brookzy]

Yep I'm sure the reason Apple hired her was to fill a diversity quota. Nothing to do with the fact that she already excelled in her career and was in an existing executive role at Beats pre-takeover.

 

[Oblivious.Robot]

After her fun and memorable on-stage demonstration of the new Apple Music features at WWDC

Look at Macrumors being snarky.

 

[brvhrt]

Puke. Sums up why Apple are losing it - focussed on all the wrong things. I mean, "head diva" ffs.

 

[Cineplex]

LOL! She was so "powerful" they hid the price of her "power lunch" final bid (if there were any at all). Who really cares about some executive from Beats that nobody has ever heard of? She is just there cause it helps sell iPhones under the false diversity flag. Give a woman some REAL power at Apple and then let's talk. In fact, let's replace Tim with a woman CEO! I totally believe in equal opportunity...I just don't believe in using this woman as a tool to show diversity. Maybe give her Eddy's job, then she will have real power.

 

[scwinsett]

Her appearance at WWDC this year was so absurdly cringy. I was embarrassed just watching it. I imagine she would not be pleasant to spend time with

 

[avanpelt]

I hate to bring up an overused line, but I really don't think Steve would have embraced giving someone a "head diva" role on the team while he was steering the ship.

 

[m.x]

Can't we all just get along and hire the best, most intelligent and most fitting people who can do the job, no matter if they're white, black, yellow or green? And if the best candidate is white or Asian, isn't that the best choice?

 

[2010mini]

I hate to bring up an overused line, but I really don't think Steve would have embraced giving someone a "head diva" role on the team while he was steering the ship.

Because SJ was the head diva.

 

[cogitodexter]

Good god, the implicit racism on this short thread is astounding.

Do you people honestly think that anyone in Apple gives tuppence what colour, gender, or orientation their potential hires are?

Downward spiral?! Really? In what alternate reality did you get out of bed today?

 

[Bubba Satori]

Gotta love it when elites do their group hugs and give each other hugs and kisses.
Self esteem mania is a cancer on progress and civilization.
The downward spiral continues unabated.

 

[NickD73]

Can't help but think she was hired, in large part, because she's black. When I hear her speak I'm not overly impressed. Apple would, unconsciously, make a hire like this due to their PC nature.

 

[jackwins]

The amount of hate in this forum is depressing. I feel sorry for those that see the success of others as a negative. What a tortured soul you must have.

I pray for you.

 

[Kaibelf]

Puke. Sums up why Apple are losing it - focussed on all the wrong things. I mean, "head diva" ffs.

It's pretty obviously a casual nickname, but I wonder, do you have the same reaction to the years of "Hair Force One" jokes, or is his coiffure sufficiently, shall we say, non-curly for your tastes?
[doublepost=1480517923][/doublepost]

Can't help but think she was hired, in large part, because she's black. When I hear her speak I'm not overly impressed. Apple would, unconsciously, make a hire like this due to their PC nature.

Even a tiny amount of research into her background and role prior to Apple would explain why she has her job, but it's much easier for you to imply that she's not qualified because she don't speak the way you like.

 

[5105973]

Oh Lordy. First of all she is NOT playing any kind of victim. How on earth did anyone get that impression?

Any women on this thread? Okay here it is from a woman's perspective...girls in most cultures, but even our allegedly progressive western one, are generally not encouraged to stick out from the crowd too much, but be a part of it. Oh, sure we may pay lip service to empowering girls and encouraging their individuality. But as a woman myself and the mother and aunt to girls, I can say when a girl actually does try to make some waves or be a lone wolf who dances to the beat of her own drum, a lot of the attention that comes her way is negative. Some of it subtle, some not so subtle.

In terms of appearances, tall women get mixed messages. On the one hand they are encouraged to be or are compared to fashion models if they are attractive. If they are not conventionally attractive but just really tall, they get some unflattering comments and nicknames. I say this as someone barely over five feet tall who has seen what my tall sisters put up with.

Ms. Saint John is merely stating that she arrived to the US from Ghana with her obvious racial and cultural and physical differences forcing her to stand out in a society where women are subtly encouraged to blend in and run in packs. She is saying there was never an option of blending in or fitting in. So she had to work with what she had and defy conventional expectations for what makes a woman able to navigate our society and just power her way through as her unique self. Some seem bent on interpreting this as hubris. I see it as truth.

The fact that she's where she's at despite being so very different is very inspiring. I think she can also inspire boys and young men who are also different and unique. Any successful person can inspire anybody if they find a message that resonates with others.

She was not a "diversity hire", as was already pointed out here. And why on earth is it that whenever we see a woman or a minority in a position of power and influence do we automatically assume on this forum that they were hired for their race or gender and not credentials or education or accomplishments?

Conversely there are so many incompetent and ineffective white male executives out there...why does no one ever think to question how such berks ended up at the levels they attained?

Don't get your knickers in a twist when people cry "white privilege" if your knee jerk reaction to seeing a successful woman or minority is to scream "diversity hire."

 

[Weaselboy]

Even a tiny amount of research into her background and role prior to Apple would explain why she has her job, but it's much easier for you to imply that she's not qualified because she don't speak the way you like.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bozoma_Saint_John

She does have an impressive resume. Here is an excerpt from her wiki page.

She graduated Wesleyan University with an English major.[1] Saint John then worked at the advertising agency Spike DDB, the fashion brand Ashley Stewart, and PepsiCo, where she remained for about a decade and led its music and entertainment marketing. The division itself came from her suggestion that the company sponsor music festivals and award shows. When Jimmy Iovine of Beats Music personally recruited Saint John from PepsiCo based on her experience in music marketing, Saint John moved from New York to Los Angeles to lead marketing for the company. She worked for Beats Music for three months before the company was acquired by Apple, where she became the head of global consumer marketing for iTunes and Apple Music.

 

[iObama]

She was not a "diversity hire", as was already pointed out here. And why on earth is it that whenever we see a woman or a minority in a position of power and influence do we automatically assume on this forum that they were hired for their race or gender and not credentials or education or accomplishments?

Conversely there are so many incompetent and ineffective white male executives out there...why does no one ever think to question how such berks ended up at the levels they attained?

These are the perfect questions for everyone in this thread to ask ourselves. Thanks for taking the time to respond with such grace.

 

[DoctorKrabs]

Is she why Apple Music doesn't even look like an app for iOS anymore?
Thank marketing executives for much of the mediocre and questionable things about Apple lately.

It brings me back to when I saw some idiotic copy on Apple's web site for the iPhone:
https://twitter.com/doctorkrabs/status/625036802521493504
Dumb marketing executives thought it was great.

And now they bring this to us:

 

[avanpelt]

Because SJ was the head diva.

I just can't fathom that Apple actually gave this lady a title -- whether formal or informal -- of "head diva". It seems like Tim went to lunch with this lady, asked her what she'd like her title to be, she told him "How about 'head diva'?" And Cook proceeded to give a thumbs up. The sad thing is that I can actually envision that conversation taking place.

 

[brvhrt]

It's pretty obviously a casual nickname, but I wonder, do you have the same reaction to the years of "Hair Force One" jokes, or is his coiffure sufficiently, shall we say, non-curly for your tastes?
[doublepost=1480517923][/doublepost]

Excuse me but the racism seems to be solely and rampantly among all the people making accusations of racism where there is none. You know nothing about me. It is ironic you jumped to wildly incorrect and prejudicial conclusions about me when there is literally nothing in what I wrote to lead to it.

"Hair Force One" is equally nauseating but for different reasons. At least it is self deprecating. "Head Diva" is self aggrandizing and narcissistic. That's why I dislike it. I dislike the focus on the person and not the product. I dislike the cult of personality. I dislike treating corporate executives like pop stars. I dislike this particular one because her presentation was cringeworthy and self promoting when the product went backwards under her stewardship. I dislike the way corporate keynotes are pitched like pop concerts. I dislike forced diversity to make a point.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not and never have been a racist, homophobe or misogynist. I am, however, absolutely against manufactured diversity when you end up with people like this particular executive and the presentation which she gave (edit: I actually believe she was picked due to her good looks which is also unacceptable). I am against it when it takes precedence over the raison d'etre of the company.

Contrast Apple's self conscious keynotes with the recent Microsoft presentation where the inclusion of minorities and women seemed entirely natural and in keeping with reasonable diversity in a modern company.

Hope that clears up my position. Now please grow up and stop seeing racism where there is none.

 

[guzhogi]

I just can't fathom that Apple actually gave this lady a title -- whether formal or informal -- of "head diva". It seems like Tim went to lunch with this lady, asked her what she'd like her title to be, she told him "How about 'head diva'?" And Cook proceeded to give a thumbs up. The sad thing is that I can actually envision that conversation taking place.

A guilty pleasure of mine a few years ago was watching those "reality" TV shows. I remember one woman, Tiffany "New York" Pollard was on a couple. She liked calling herself the HBIC- Head Bitch in Charge.

 

[lazyrighteye]

I find it breathtakingly remarkable how threatened white men can be by a professional black woman. Seriously? You do know Apple is a global company, right? And the globe is comprised of more than just white men?

Good grief people, step out of your tiny bubbles. Outside, you'll find a vibrant, rich, diverse sea of perspectives, beliefs and people from all walks of life. Evolve. Just a tad. I know it's scary. But you can do it. I think. Be brave, white men. I'm pulling for us.