Screenshot: CBS Viacom / Kotaku
In a previous life, Frances Townsend defended the authorized foundation for the torture methodology known as waterboarding throughout George W. Bush’s battle on terror. In a more moderen one, she helped lead Activision Blizzard’s initially tone-deaf response to a serious sexual harassment lawsuit by the state of California. Now she’s stepping down because the Call of Duty writer’s chief compliance officer after lower than two years within the place.
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CEO Bobby Kotick introduced the transfer to workers in an e-mail on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal experiences. Despite stepping down from the place, Townsend will nonetheless stay an official advisor to Kotick and to Activision Blizzard’s Board of Directors, over which Kotick presides. This shift within the firm’s governing construction comes as Microsoft tries to persuade regulators to let it purchase the writer of Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV for $69 billion by June 2023.
“She tirelessly and successfully navigated a challenging time for the Company with leadership, conviction, and grace,” Kotick wrote within the e-mail, in response to The Wall Street Journal. (Last November, over 1,000 staff signed a letter calling on him to resign.)
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Others may disagree. Brought on board to assist Activision Blizzard navigate complicated world rules, the previous Bush adviser ended up being one of many faces of the corporate’s reckoning with allegations of sexual discrimination and harassment. Townsend grew to become the messenger for the corporate’s extraordinarily harsh rebuttal to a California lawsuit alleging pay discrimination, a “frat boy” office tradition, and different points.
“A recently filed lawsuit presented a distorted and untrue picture of our company, including factually incorrect, old and out of context stories—some from more than a decade ago,” learn an e-mail from her work account largely defending the corporate and denying any legitimacy to the claims. It provoked a walkout from a whole bunch of staff throughout Activision Blizzard the next week, and Townsend even began blocking a few of them on Twitter after they criticized her for tweeting an anti-whistleblower article from The Atlantic. Eventually, she nuked her Twitter account fully. However, The Wall Street Journal later reported that the unique e-mail from Townsend’s account waiving off the California lawsuit was really drafted by Kotick.
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Activision Blizzard later modified its tune, saying various new insurance policies to try to tackle office points and an $18 million settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The ABK Worker Alliance group that grew out of the unique allegations continues to press for extra reforms and say in how the insurance policies are developed and applied.
Townsend couldn’t instantly be reached, and Activision Blizzard didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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Update: 9/30/22 10:30 p.m. ET: Activision Blizzard spokesperson Rich George offered Kotaku with a replica of Kotick’s e-mail to workers concerning Townsend’s departure, however declined to remark additional:
Team,
As we proceed to maneuver nearer to the completion of our merger with Microsoft, I wish to share some vital updates we’re making to additional our persevering with dedication to excellence in our office, compliance, and governance.
Effective October 1, Fran Townsend might be shifting to a brand new position as Senior Counselto me and the Board of Directors. In her present position as EVP of Corporate Affairs, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, Fran did a really distinctive job—really 4 jobs— with constantly rising obligations and probably the most exemplary work ethic. She tirelessly and efficiently navigated a difficult time for the Company with management, conviction, and beauty.
Fran additionally has completed a rare job enhancing the robust governance and compliance applications we now have all through the Company. One of Fran’s most vital contributions has been empowering and creating expertise, and we’re happy to announce that her deputies Jen Brewer and Luci Altman will each be promoted efficient October 1.
Jen Brewer, simply celebrated her tenth yr with the corporate, at present as Senior Vice President of Ethics and Compliance. Jen might be promoted to Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer. Jen has greater than twenty years of authorized and compliance expertise. She has lengthy been a key advisor to our senior management workforce, and this well-earned promotion acknowledges her distinctive skills and dedication to creating Activision Blizzard the perfect place to work. Jen will report back to Chief Administrative Officer Brian Bulatao whereas persevering with to work carefully with me, Fran, Grant and instantly with the Board’s Audit and Workplace Responsibility Committees.
Fran and Jen have been dedicated to retaining and attracting expertise to our world class compliance workforce, with a various roster of prime performers from organizations with main compliance applications like Disney, Boeing, KPMG, Walmart, the US Navy, and a number of the world’s greatest regulation companies.
Over the ten years Jen has been a pacesetter in compliance on the Company she has overseen and created modern compliance and reporting applications together with our distinctive Way2Play Heroes program.
Leading our Way2Play workforce, Jen labored for years with grit and willpower to create our one in every of a form Way2Play Heroes initiative which has grown from 75 Heroes to right now, with over 140 Heroes making certain greatest practices in compliance throughout all the firm.
Jen stays enthusiastic about sustaining probably the most welcoming inclusive office and making certain continued funding and modern applications so we stay an instance for different corporations in our business.
Luci Altman, at present Senior Vice President of Senior Securities & Corporate Governance, might be promoted to Corporate Secretary. Luci joined us final yr after greater than thirty years of authorized expertise in non-public observe and prime companies, and she or he has been instrumental in our sustaining the very best requirements of company governance. Building relationships with groups internationally takes time and Luci has constructed robust, trusting relationships throughout the corporate throughout the pandemic, no straightforward process. Luci continues to play a pivotal position within the completion of our merger with Microsoft. While a lot of Luci’s work is behind the scenes, we all know she has performed a starring position in making certain we now have the perfect governance practices. She participated within the creation of our 2021 ESG report highlighting our achievements in our efforts to enhance the surroundings by means of key initiatives like lowering using plastic packaging and our social and governance applications that are thought-about greatest in school by impartial reviewers. She will proceed to make sure we preserve our dedication to excellence in all of our ESG initiatives. Luci will now report back to our General Counsel, Grant Dixton.
We will proceed to show our dedication making certain our governance and compliance applications are the mannequin for our business, and these personnel modifications will assist us preserve our momentum in that regard.
We’re lucky to have world-class professionals like Fran, Jen, and Luci on our workforce – and I couldn’t be extra grateful for the tireless work they do.
Thank you all for the shared dedication to the perfect office, your ardour and unwavering dedication to enchancment which is how we’ll proceed to make the world’s greatest video games.
With appreciation,
Bobby
