In a previous life, Frances Townsend defended the authorized foundation for the torture technique referred to as waterboarding throughout George W. Bush’s struggle 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 Name of Obligation writer’s chief compliance officer after lower than two years within the place.
CEO Bobby Kotick introduced the transfer to employees in an e mail on Thursday, The Wall Road Journal studies. Regardless of stepping down from the place, Townsend will nonetheless stay an official advisor to Kotick and to Activision Blizzard’s Board of Administrators, 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 efficiently navigated a difficult time for the Firm with management, conviction, and style,” Kotick wrote within the e mail, in response to The Wall Road Journal. (Final November, over 1,000 workers signed a letter calling on him to resign.)
Others would possibly disagree. Introduced on board to assist Activision Blizzard navigate complicated international 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 not too long ago filed lawsuit introduced a distorted and unfaithful image of our firm, together with factually incorrect, previous and out of context tales—some from greater than a decade in the past,” learn an e mail from her work account largely defending the corporate and denying any legitimacy to the claims. It provoked a walkout from lots of of workers 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. Ultimately, she nuked her Twitter account completely. Nonetheless, The Wall Road Journal later reported that the unique e mail from Townsend’s account waiving off the California lawsuit was truly drafted by Kotick.
Activision Blizzard later modified its tune, asserting quite a few new insurance policies to attempt to handle office points and an $18 million settlement with the Equal Employment Alternative Fee. The ABK Employee 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 carried out.
Townsend couldn’t instantly be reached, and Activision Blizzard didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Replace: 9/30/22 10:30 p.m. ET: Activision Blizzard spokesperson Wealthy George supplied Kotaku with a duplicate of Kotick’s e mail to employees relating to Townsend’s departure, however declined to remark additional:
Staff,
As we proceed to maneuver nearer to the completion of our merger with Microsoft, I need to share some essential updates we’re making to additional our persevering with dedication to excellence in our office, compliance, and governance.
Efficient October 1, Fran Townsend might be transferring to a brand new position as Senior Counselto me and the Board of Administrators. In her present position as EVP of Company Affairs, Chief Compliance Officer and Company Secretary, Fran did a really distinctive job—truly 4 jobs— with repeatedly rising obligations and probably the most exemplary work ethic. She tirelessly and efficiently navigated a difficult time for the Firm with management, conviction, and style.
Fran additionally has completed a unprecedented job enhancing the sturdy governance and compliance packages we’ve got all through the Firm. One in all Fran’s most essential 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 the moment 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 group, and this well-earned promotion acknowledges her distinctive talents 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 intently with me, Fran, Grant and straight with the Board’s Audit and Office Accountability Committees.
Fran and Jen have been dedicated to retaining and attracting expertise to our world class compliance group, with a various roster of prime performers from organizations with main compliance packages like Disney, Boeing, KPMG, Walmart, the US Navy, and a number of the world’s finest regulation corporations.
Over the ten years Jen has been a pacesetter in compliance on the Firm she has overseen and created progressive compliance and reporting packages together with our distinctive Way2Play Heroes program.
Main our Way2Play group, Jen labored for years with grit and willpower to create our certainly one of a sort Way2Play Heroes initiative which has grown from 75 Heroes to in the present day, with over 140 Heroes making certain finest practices in compliance throughout the complete firm.
Jen stays enthusiastic about sustaining probably the most welcoming inclusive office and making certain continued funding and progressive packages so we stay an instance for different corporations in our business.
Luci Altman, at the moment Senior Vice President of Senior Securities & Company Governance, might be promoted to Company Secretary. Luci joined us final yr after greater than thirty years of authorized expertise in personal follow and prime companies, and he or she has been instrumental in our sustaining the very best requirements of company governance. Constructing relationships with groups the world over takes time and Luci has constructed sturdy, trusting relationships throughout the corporate through the pandemic, no straightforward activity. Luci continues to play a pivotal position within the completion of our merger with Microsoft. Whereas a lot of Luci’s work is behind the scenes, we all know she has performed a starring position in making certain we’ve got 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 key initiatives like lowering using plastic packaging and our social and governance packages that are thought of finest in school by impartial reviewers. She’s going to proceed to make sure we preserve our dedication to excellence in all of our ESG initiatives. Luci will now report back to our Common Counsel, Grant Dixton.
We’ll proceed to exhibit our dedication making certain our governance and compliance packages 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 group – and I couldn’t be extra grateful for the tireless work they do.
Thanks 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 finest video games.
With appreciation,
Bobby
