A former Apple employee named Sam Sung has revealed he changed his name to avoid becoming a lasting internet joke. The 36-year-old Scot, now known as Sam Struan, went viral in 2012 after a customer posted a photo of his business card online, highlighting the coincidence of his name with rival tech company Samsung.
Struan, who worked at Apple stores in Glasgow and Vancouver, said he adopted a new surname to escape the attention and protect his career prospects. He left Apple in 2013 to become a recruitment consultant, but found that his name hindered his professional brand and online presence. He chose 'Struan' after a village on the Isle of Skye, one of his favourite places.
Despite the initial fear and worry about job security, Struan now wishes he had been more relaxed about the viral fame. He acknowledged that studies show a name can influence career opportunities, but he does not have data on how the change affected his prospects. Today, he is rarely recognised, which is how he prefers it.
