Since a slew of scandals rocked the gaming industry over the past year, Activision Blizzard has taken steps to enhance the company’s workplace culture, which has been sorely lacking in recent decades. As part of this effort, the gaming behemoth recently announced the appointment of a chief equity, diversity, and inclusion officer in a news release.
Christine Hines will assume the position, and she will report to Julie Hodges, the chief people officer, beginning on April 25. Hines will take steps to ensure that all communities and genders are represented equally and treated fairly within the studio environment. Women and non-binary employees are expected to account for half of Activision Blizzard’s workforce over the next five years, the company says.
In her words, “I’m thrilled to be joining a company that is prioritizing its commitment to DEI and making progress toward the lofty goals it has set for itself.” “In an industry with a long history of underrepresentation, I’m looking forward to taking the reins and leading the company’s efforts to further develop a workplace that values openness, equity, and inclusion.” Gaming has tremendous potential to bring people from all around the world together and to display heroes from all walks of life. “I am looking forward to contributing to the expansion of the pool of talent that is able to deliver these captivating experiences to a diverse range of gamers,” says the author.
Given that the publishing behemoth is about to be acquired by Microsoft, many are expecting good improvements to take place inside the organization’s culture. Hopefully, additional substantial advancements will be achieved in the future, and these advancements will be implemented.