Activision Blizzard might have recently lost two prominent chief financial officers, but the company is still trying to go about business as usual, which means appointing new presidents.
Yes, presidents. According to Variety, three long-standing members of the Activision Blizzard team have been promoted to various presidential positions within the company.
The first to be promoted was Rob Kostich. He was the General Manager and Executive Vice President of the Call of Duty franchise and now has been promoted to the enviable position of President of Activision. Not one particular branch of Activision, but the entire company.
The second person in the recent rash of promotions was Humam Sakhnini of King Digital Entertainment. You probably best know the company for Candy Crush, as well as the debacle that ensued when King tried to copyright the word “candy.” Sakhnini served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer for the firm, and his hard work has paid off, as he is now President of King Digital Entertainment. Again, not one branch of the company, but President of King in its entirety, as oxymoronic as that sounds.
Last but certainly not least was Activision Blizzard’s CFO Dennis Durkin, who was promoted to President of Activision Blizzard’s Emerging Business division. While not as impressive as being president of an entire company/subsidiary, leading the Emerging Business section is still a crucial job, as it is responsible for everything from esports to physical merchandise.
Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, recently commented on these promotions, as well as the promotion of J. Allen Brack, former World of Warcraft Executive Producer-turned President of Blizzard Entertainment.
“Rob, Humam, Dennis and J. exemplify our deep bench of operational and commercial leadership. These capable and seasoned executives have shown unwavering commitment to our company, our employees, and our beloved community of fans around the world,” explained Kotick. “With these proven, principled leaders at the helm, we will continue to invest in the strategic growth drivers of our business; our talented people, and creating the world’s best video games, live services, mobile experiences, and new and growing franchise engagement models.”
These new presidents have a long road ahead of them. Only time will tell if they can lead their companies to a bright future.
