Apple has hired industry veteran Chris Thorne as its new chief marketing officer for the Beats brand following the rennet launch of the sporty PowerBeats Pro truly wireless earbuds.
The new hire, effective immediately, was announced this morning, noting that Chris brings with him over 15 years of experience from companies like the games super publisher Electronic Arts, The Honest Company and a company called Forward that builds systems which connects doctors with medical technology to improve patient healthcare.
Beats President Luke Wood was quoted as saying:
It’s an exciting time at Beats. With our highest quality product portfolio to date, our team continues to grow rapidly across the globe. In his career, Chris has shouldered an extensive roster of brands that amplify his invaluable experience in marketing, business management, brand growth and creative development. I’m thrilled we have found a marketing leader who will continue to drive Beats as an industry changemaker and look forward to working closely with him.
In his new role, Chris will be charged with managing global marketing for Beats to drive customer acquisition, strengthen customer engagement and loyalty and grow sales.
He will report to Beats President Luke Wood.
From the announcement:
Thorne joins the Beats family with over 15 years of marketing and business experience. He began his executive career as President of CSMG Sports, one of the largest sports representation firms in the country, before becoming Global Vice President of Marketing, Media & Mobile at Electronic Arts (EA). He then served as Chief Marketing Officer at The Honest Company and was most recently Chief Growth Officer at Forward. He earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and his JD from Northwestern Law School.
Beats’ former marketing head, Omar Johnson, left Beats in 2016 two years Apple after bought the company for $31. billion. Another major marketing officer for the Beats brand, Jason White, departed the company in January for Cura Partners, a Portland-based cannabis company.