[Megathread] Activision-Blizzard Employee Moves

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I assumed she would stay MUUCH longer.

[MoanaLisa]

I assumed she would stay MUUCH longer.

Appears she was poached as well.

Dorsey told CNBC that Ahuja rose to the top of the search for Square's Board of Directors given her entrepreneurial qualities. Ahuja has held various roles at Activision Blizzard in her eight years there including: SVP of Investor Relations and VP of Finance and Operations.

Better offer, greener pastures. CEO of Twitter would be able to do that.

[tangers58]

Here's a link

https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/financ...231800509.html


The company did not provide a specific reason for the announcement about Chief Financial Officer Spencer Neumann but said it is "unrelated to the company's financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures."

Shares of Activision Blizzard have fallen 26 percent this year.

Activision Blizzard ATVI shares moved down 1 percent in after-hours trading on Monday after the company said that it has informed its chief financial officer, Spencer Neumann, that it plans to let him go. For now he has been placed on a paid leave of absence.

The news comes after a rough year for the gaming company, whose shares have fallen 26 percent in 2018. Last month the company's stock fell 10 percent after it reported a decline in its number of users .


The plan to terminate Neumann, who joined in 2017 after a stint at Disney DIS , is "unrelated to the Company's financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures," according to a regulatory filing . Neumann will have a chance to argue that there isn't reason to terminate his employment. But effective Tuesday, the company's chief corporate officer, Dennis Durkin, will take on CFO responsibilities.

Neumann, 48, received $9.47 million in total compensation in Activision Blizzard's most recent fiscal year, a filing says. He sits on the board of the nonprofit Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.

I'm on my small phone screen, so I have no idea how this looks, anyway, I thought I would share this news, since I did not see anyone else doing it.

"You can't quit, you're fired!"

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Appears she was poached as well.

Better offer, greener pastures. CEO of Twitter would be able to do that.

Not the best look for Activision(I know Job poaching happens but not like this)

[MoanaLisa]

Not the best look for Activision(I know Job poaching happens but not like this)

That can be taken two ways. The alternative is that those two CFO's were at the top of the list for some very prestigious corporations and well worth recruiting.

[MrExcelion]

Appears she was poached as well.

Better offer, greener pastures. CEO of Twitter would be able to do that.

all that work to convince the op of his misleading title when it became true anyway, haha

[Aeluron Lightsong]

all that work to convince the op of his misleading title when it became true anyway, haha

Eh, seems like the OP posted later he wasn't trying to stir shit up, just inform people(Based on how he posted later)

[MrExcelion]

Eh, seems like the OP posted later he wasn't trying to stir shit up, just inform people(Based on how he posted later)

Yeah, he was really chill about it. I wish more posters were more conversational like him instead of just looking to debate (or worse, troll)

[MoanaLisa]

all that work to convince the op of his misleading title when it became true anyway, haha

Yep. How it goes sometimes

[MrExcelion]

On a side note, since were talking Blizzard here, I saw today that Ben Brode's studio has a 30 million investment from Chinese mobile giant Netease (same ones behind diablo immortal) to make a Marvel-licensed mobile game. So that's what happened with him and the other devs he took with him.

Some of this is definitely poaching. I remember Ghostcrawler basically being a poach by Riot too. Big pay raises.

But yeah, only some of it is poaching.

[The Anax]

Well, I know that Moana Lisa corrected me originally, but according to WoWhead, now the Blizzard Entertainment CFO is leaving Blizzard as well lol It says she is going to be CFO for a company called Square. So it did not matter what CFO, they are both leaving, and a Durkin or something that was CFO for several years is coming back.

EDIT: Ah crap, I was late again!

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Not the best look for Activision(I know Job poaching happens but not like this)

If some of what was said about how Blizz treated their financial sector, probably not a good look at all. But also maybe a chance to tighten the belt and get out of the red.

[Gadzooks]

That can be taken two ways. The alternative is that those two CFO's were at the top of the list for some very prestigious corporations and well worth recruiting.

But to be fair, it says a lot that top executives could be lured away - which doesn't say a lot for morale at that level. But I also keep in mind that in today's job market, 2 years is considered a long time at a job, most people above a certain level start looking around after a year or so, to bump pay and perks up, especially when young, and to get more juicy job titles and companies on the CV. She's young, for a CFO, so this may have been a career bump move. Maybe she was bored with the game industry, or she didn't fit in with game nerds.

Again - not calling for "The sky is falling!", but this one was a bit eyebrow raising.

[MoanaLisa]

But to be fair, it says a lot that top executives could be lured away - which doesn't say a lot for morale at that level. But I also keep in mind that in today's job market, 2 years is considered a long time at a job, most people above a certain level start looking around after a year or so, to bump pay and perks up, especially when young, and to get more juicy job titles and companies on the CV. She's young, for a CFO, so this may have been a career bump move. Maybe she was bored with the game industry, or she didn't fit in with game nerds.

Again - not calling for "The sky is falling!", but this one was a bit eyebrow raising.

She's going to work for Jack Dorsey. If she does well, she could eventually end up as CFO at Twitter. I mean that's the thing with both of these. ATVI is a big deal but nothing like the potential of working for Dorsey or Netflix in the case of Neumann. Granted the timing is surprising. Dorsey has apparently been looking for someone for Square since October and it's the end of the fiscal year for everyone involved.

[Gadzooks]

She's going to work for Jack Dorsey. If she does well, she could eventually end up as CFO at Twitter. I mean that's the thing with both of these. ATVI is a big deal but nothing like the potential of working for Dorsey or Netflix in the case of Neumann. Granted the timing is surprising. Dorsey has apparently been looking for someone for Square since October and it's the end of the fiscal year for everyone involved.

Yeah, I agree, the Dorsey factor is strong here. And who knows, maybe she's dating someone who took a job in SF, so she decided to go with them. That happens a lot, too. But Twitter, and anything related to Twitter? Yeah, big draw there. Her CV is pretty impressive - Harvard, Morgan Stanley, Disney, etc, too. Definitely someone who'd be on corporate headhunter's lists.

Interesting that she also worked for Disney, while Neumann worked there, I just realized. New conspiracy! And, Dorsey was on the board at Disney - the plot thickens!

Edited: because I'm a dork.

[lockybalboa]

So when is it Ion's turn? Can't wait for that one.

[Cucultlan]

So as the title says, seems like the future for Activision-exBlizzard its pretty grim since one was trying (and succesful) get into Netflix corporate ladder.
now the woman of in charge is going to Square in November.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/03/squa...s-new-cfo.html

what's your thoughs on it?

[Zequill]

The only thing that look grim is your english.

[Louz]

what's your thoughs on it?

Read the article first maybe?

Specificaly the part that says "Payments company Square".

[Deleted]

Can't blame her for going to a better company now.