Activision Blizzard has introduced the appointment of Kristen Hines as its chief diversity, fairness, and inclusion officer, beginning Monday, April 25. Hines beforehand labored at Accenture, a consulting firm the place she helped a lot of corporations increase their DEI initiatives. She’ll be a part of the senior management staff, and will report back to chief folks officer Julie Hodges.
“I’m excited to hitch an organization that’s prioritising its dedication to DEI and making progress on the formidable objectives it has set for itself,” Hines says in a press launch. “In an trade with historic underrepresentation, I’m trying ahead to main the corporate’s efforts to additional construct a office that values transparency, fairness, and inclusivity.”
Hines’ position will see her engaged on Activision Blizzard ongoing diversity initiatives, together with the corporate’s promise to extend the proportion of ladies and non-binary folks within the work pressure by 50% over the subsequent 5 years. As the press launch explains, she “will even accomplice throughout all gaming groups to make sure numerous and inclusive views are included in sport design, together with storylines, character growth, gameplay and neighborhood interplay.”
“Activision Blizzard has formidable objectives to grow to be probably the most welcoming and inclusive firm within the gaming trade,” CEO Bobby Kotick says within the press launch. “We have already made important progress guaranteeing the security and well-being of our staff, and we’re excited to have Kristen be part of our management staff to assist drive even better enchancment.”
Last yr, a report alleged that Kotick knew about and suppressed reviews of sexual misconduct at Activision Blizzard. Kotick referred to as the report “inaccurate and deceptive”. Following the information of Microsoft’s deliberate buyout of Activision Blizzard, one other report claims that Kotick is prone to depart following the completion of the deal.
In July 2021, the state of California filed a lawsuit towards Activision Blizzard alleging years of office discrimination and harassment. The story has since embroiled CEO Bobby Kotick and prompted the US federal authorities to open an investigation. It continues to unfold and to be of immense significance to the sport trade. You can compensate for all of the developments up to now on this frequently up to date explainer article.
Activision Blizzard introduced final week that 1,100 short-term QA staff could be made full-time alongside raises for the position, as strain from worker teams continues. However, the corporate rapidly revealed that QA staff at Raven Software, lots of who’re working to unionise, won’t obtain the identical raises.
