In a previous life, Frances Townsend defended the authorized foundation for the torture methodology 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 significant 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.
CEO Bobby Kotick introduced the transfer to workers in an electronic 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 electronic mail, in accordance with The Wall Street Journal. (Last November, over 1,000 workers signed a letter calling on him to resign.)
Others would possibly disagree. Brought on board to assist Activision Blizzard navigate advanced international laws, 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,” read an email from her work account largely defending the corporate and denying any legitimacy to the claims. It provoked a walkout from a whole lot 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. Eventually, she nuked her Twitter account completely. However, The Wall Street Journal later reported that the unique electronic mail from Townsend’s account waiving off the California lawsuit was truly drafted by Kotick.
Activision Blizzard later modified its tune, saying various new insurance policies to try to handle 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.
Update: 9/30/22 10:30 p.m. ET: Activision Blizzard spokesperson Rich George offered Kotaku with a copy of Kotick’s electronic 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 need to share some necessary 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 function as Senior Counselto me and the Board of Directors. In her present function as EVP of Corporate Affairs, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, Fran did a very distinctive job—truly 4 jobs— with repeatedly rising tasks and essentially the most exemplary work ethic. She tirelessly and efficiently navigated a difficult time for the Company with management, conviction, and beauty.
Fran additionally has accomplished a rare job enhancing the robust governance and compliance applications we now have all through the Company. One of Fran’s most necessary 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, presently 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 easiest place to work. Jen will report back to Chief Administrative Officer Brian Bulatao whereas persevering with to work intently 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 group, with a various roster of prime performers from organizations with main compliance applications like Disney, Boeing, KPMG, Walmart, the US Navy, and a few of the world’s greatest regulation companies.
Over the ten years Jen has been a frontrunner 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 group, Jen labored for years with grit and dedication to create our one in every of a sort Way2Play Heroes initiative which has grown from 75 Heroes to in the present day, with over 140 Heroes making certain greatest practices in compliance throughout the whole firm.
Jen stays obsessed with sustaining essentially the most welcoming inclusive office and making certain continued funding and modern applications so we stay an instance for different corporations in our trade.
Luci Altman, presently 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 apply and prime firms, and he or she has been instrumental in our sustaining the very best requirements of company governance. Building relationships with groups the world over takes time and Luci has constructed robust, trusting relationships throughout the corporate in the course of the pandemic, no straightforward job. Luci continues to play a pivotal function 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 function in making certain we now have the easiest governance practices. She participated within the creation of our 2021 ESG report highlighting our achievements in our efforts to enhance the atmosphere by means of key initiatives like lowering using plastic packaging and our social and governance applications that are thought-about greatest at school by impartial reviewers. She will proceed to make sure we keep 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 exhibit our dedication making certain our governance and compliance applications are the mannequin for our trade, and these personnel adjustments will assist us keep 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.
Thank you all for the shared dedication to the easiest office, your ardour and unwavering dedication to enchancment which is how we are going to proceed to make the world’s greatest video games.
With appreciation,
Bobby
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