Activision Blizzard Diversifies Board by Adding Two Women

(Bloomberg) -- Activision Blizzard Inc., the video game publisher that’s facing an ongoing sexual misconduct investigation, said Thursday it will add two women to its board.

The new appointments will bring diversity to a panel that has been criticized for leaning heavily on longtime friends of Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick. To make room for the new members, Hendrik Hartong and Casey Wasserman will step down, Activision said in a statement.

Joining the board are Lulu Cheng Meservey, the vice president of communications at the newsletter software maker Substack Inc. who was appointed on April 16, and Kerry Carr, a senior vice president at the liquor company Bacardi Ltd. who will be nominated at Activision’s upcoming annual shareholder meeting.

If the appointments are confirmed, the board will consist of four women and six men. Last week’s appointment of Cheng Meservey, an advocate of internet free speech who tweets prolifically and in a polarizing way, brought Activision into compliance with a California law requiring boards of its size to have at least three women.

The additions are set to bring more diverse perspectives to the leadership of a company that has faced widespread criticism for its treatment of women. A California state agency sued Activision last summer for sexual misconduct and harassment, led to Microsoft Corp. making a deal to purchase Activision for $69 billion. That deal is currently under regulatory review.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that a top lawyer on the California lawsuit was fired and her deputy resigned in protest, accusing California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office of interfering with the case in Activision’s favor. Wasserman, the departing board member, donated $100,000 to Newsom for his recall election last year.

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