[Megathread] Activision-Blizzard Employee Moves

[Magnagarde]

Haha yeah, I bet the Chief Financial Officer who joined last year is a big WoW gamer who's quitting his executive job because the devs didn't buff his shaman enough

I have inside information that he quit because he has issues with the Azerite system.

He also doesn't have a phone.

[MysticsDK]

I have inside information that he quit because he has issues with the Azerite system.

He also doesn't have a phone.

lmao. You just had to go there.

[Orby]

I have inside information that he quit because he has issues with the Azerite system.

He also doesn't have a phone.

Well that would be the case if he was Blizzard's CFO, but he wasnt.

[Deleted]

The only drama i can see here is Blizzard paying him to be fired without a cause...when he was actually already leaving for Netflix.

What kind of nonsense is this? Was this a move to save face? I dont know how?

Im kinda of a noob in this topic and im reading a lot of "english terms" not used in my country.
So bare with me.

Isnt the decision of paying him to leave...stupid by Blizzard? If he was already leaving?

[Gorsameth]

The only drama i can see here is Blizzard paying him to be fired without a cause...when he was actually already leaving for Netflix.

What kind of nonsense is this? Was this a move to save face? I dont know how?

Im kinda of a noob in this topic and im reading a lot of "english terms" not used in my country.
So bare with me.

Isnt the decision of paying him to leave...stupid by Blizzard? If he was already leaving?

His contract likely requires X weeks of advance notice before firing/quitting.
So instead of having a CFO making decisions he no longer cares about you send him on a payed leave until the X weeks are up.

[Deleted]

His contract likely requires X weeks of advance notice before firing/quitting.
So instead of having a CFO making decisions he no longer cares about you send him on a payed leave until the X weeks are up.

Oh i thought Blizzard had to pay him a lot of money for firing him without a cause

[Gadzooks]

Informed he will be fired and forced to take a payed leave of absence is just PR speak for saying he was involved in some sort of scandal and dumped.
That's not what a firing for lack of performance looks like.

This is what "Hey, i got a job offer at Netflix" looks like. This way, they can secure his files and computer and such, and lock him out of their network. Pretty standard stuff at that level - and when you're a publically traded company, you HAVE to file stuff like this. He's high up enough they want him out of their system immediately. Not everyone gets two weeks, that's a formality, which I learned at a job when I handed in my two weeks, because I was taking a new job elsewhere. I had to leave that moment - "don't worry about what's on your desk, we'll take care of it, thanks for all the fish".

There's no scandal here. Netflix made him an offer, he probably informed the board last week, and they moved.

If there were scandal, Netflix wouldn't be talking about hiring him.

This is just clickbait for YouTube.

[Mysteries]

Is it Activision Blizzard or Blizzard Activision? You be the judge...

[Dangg]

Well there you go. If this doesnt prove that the current wow expansion is shit I dont know what does

[Arrashi]

As i said in other thread - i highly doubt it will have any effect on blizzard games.

[Dystemper]

Its only the start. With the stock the way it is other heads will roll. The BOD will be demanding it as well as the investors.
I am only waiting for Ion and his crew to be shit canned.

[Mardux]

Oh i thought Blizzard had to pay him a lot of money for firing him without a cause

Considering we don't know that it was without cause, its more likely his payout was part of a severance agreement. Just because a reason isn't publically disclosed, doesn't mean there is no reason.

[Teaon]

Well there you go. If this doesnt prove that the current wow expansion is shit I dont know what does

yeah he probably mains shaman and didnt enjoy isle of expedition

[Twdft]

some guy: a janitor at Blizzard coughed
mmo-c: oh my god they all have ebola

[Gorsameth]

Its only the start. With the stock the way it is other heads will roll. The BOD will be demanding it as well as the investors.
I am only waiting for Ion and his crew to be shit canned.

See the other thread about the stock drops, the entire market is down. No one is going to get fired for the entire market falling.

[Deleted]

Considering we don't know that it was without cause, its more likely his payout was part of a severance agreement. Just because a reason isn't publically disclosed, doesn't mean there is no reason.

I saw the Heelvsbabyface video and he linked us this file:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/d...-42214_18k.htm

"On December 31, 2018, Activision Blizzard, Inc. (the “Company”) notified Spencer Neumann, the Company’s current Chief Financial Officer, that the Company intends to terminate Mr. Neumann’s employment for cause unrelated to the Company’s financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures. Mr. Neumann has been placed on a paid leave of absence from the Company pending an opportunity for him to demonstrate why cause does not exist to terminate his employment or why termination of his employment is not otherwise justified."

Oh, im pretty sure there is always a "cause" for firing someone. Even though firing without cause/reason exists

[Thage]

WoW is doing fine if anything its the shenanigans of call of duty and destiny.
Blizzard is still activisions cash cow.

Well, no. King is Activision's cash cow, if anything. King is the only one of the three who shows regular per-quarter growth without fail due to how its games are monetized and how ubiquitous games like Candy Crush are.

On-topic: As another poster mentioned, Activision probably got wind of the rumors that Netflix is looking to poach him, and decided to cut ties with him to avoid the hassle. Though I do have to wonder if the disappointing year didn't at least play a role in their decision (if 2018 had been more financially-pleasing, they might've sought to sweeten the deal to keep him on rather than cut him loose).

[Gorsameth]

Well, no. King is Activision's cash cow, if anything. King is the only one of the three who shows regular per-quarter growth without fail due to how its games are monetized and how ubiquitous games like Candy Crush are.

On-topic: As another poster mentioned, Activision probably got wind of the rumors that Netflix is looking to poach him, and decided to cut ties with him to avoid the hassle. Though I do have to wonder if the disappointing year didn't at least play a role in their decision (if 2018 had been more financially-pleasing, they might've sought to sweeten the deal to keep him on rather than cut him loose).

You can't have a CFO that you can't trust. Once you get wind of him talking to Netflix the only choice you have is to let him go imo.

[Zandalariprelate]

Whoa, I am impressed all of these moves made from Activision, it's has been like a big conga of bad moves for all 2018

[Thage]

You can't have a CFO that you can't trust. Once you get wind of him talking to Netflix the only choice you have is to let him go imo.

It's not even about trust. You don't want someone who doesn't care handling your finances, and they needed time to lock him back out of the system and secure his computer(s). If he wasn't paid enough to care, but you aren't willing to raise his salary so he will, you part ways and secure the systems he had access to.