After a four-month search, Netflix has found its next CMO: Jackie Lee-Joe, the former chief marketing officer of BBC Studios.
Lee-Joe succeeds Kelly Bennett, who announced his retirement from the company earlier this year. She will start at Netflix in September and will be based in Los Angeles.
Netflix’s pick of Lee-Joe, an Australian national who has worked Down Under and in the U.K., reflects the multinational profile of the company. It’s growing subscribers far more rapidly in international markets than in the U.S. Most Netflix members are now overseas, with 88.6 million paid subs internationally versus 60.2 million domestically as of the end of Q1 2019.
Also worth noting: Lee-Joe’s hire brings another female exec to the Netflix C-suite, alongside chief talent officer Jessica Neal and comms chief Rachel Whetstone.
“Jackie is a truly original thinker with a wealth of global experience — making her the perfect fit as our next chief marketing officer,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer, said in announcing the appointment. “I’m excited to work with her in promoting our brand and original programming in new and creative ways to our members all around the world,.”
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At Netflix, Lee-Joe will oversee a global marketing team and a growing marketing budget. The company’s marketing spending jumped 65% in 2018, from $1.44 billion to $2.37 billion. Analysts expect that to grow this year to nearly $2.9 billion (up more than 20%).
As marketing chief at BBC Studios, Lee-Joe had oversight of more than 300 brands globally and was responsible for developing new BBC brands.
Lee-Joe joined the BBC in November 2015 from Microsoft-owned Skype, where she was global director for audience, entertainment marketing and broadcast media. She has over 20 years of marketing experience with media, technology and telecoms companies including Virgin Mobile, Carphone Warehouse and Orange. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Sydney and a master’s degree in commerce from the University of New South Wales.
“Netflix is a much-loved and respected brand with audiences globally thanks to its rich and varied original programming,” Lee-Joe said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to be joining one of the most creative, dynamic and fearlessly innovative companies in the world.”