SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Humam Sakhnini has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Strategy and Talent Officer. The company also announced today that Ann Weiser who has served as its Chief Human Resources Officer since 2007 will retire at the end of her contract in 2012.
In his new role, Sakhnini, who has served as the company's Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Business Development since 2009, will continue to report to Thomas Tippl, Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard. He will continue to oversee the company's corporate strategy and business development activities, and will assume leadership responsibility for human resources activities across Activision Blizzard.
"Bringing together our strategic planning and worldwide human resources responsibilities under Humam's leadership underscores our commitment to talent recruiting, development and retention as a principal focus of the company," stated Robert Kotick, Chief Executive Officer. "This move will enable us to more closely link our strategic planning and business development initiatives with talent development to ensure we remain the preeminent destination for the most talented people working in interactive entertainment."
Prior to joining Activision Blizzard, Sakhnini was a partner at McKinsey & Company for eight years, where he provided counsel to executives at the world's leading media and technology companies. During his tenure at McKinsey, he focused on business strategy including acquisitions, international growth and market entry, as well as marketing, sales, and organizational transformation.
"I would like to thank Ann for her extraordinary contributions to Activision Blizzard," Kotick continued. "By aligning our human resources and operations, she has helped us to recruit top industry talent and deliver strong business results. Through Ann's leadership we have deep senior management strength and stronger human resource processes and capabilities. Ann will work closely with Humam over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities."
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Blizzard, Inc. is a worldwide online, PC and console game publisher with leading market positions across every major category of the rapidly growing interactive entertainment software industry.
Activision Blizzard maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, China, South Korea and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision Blizzard and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com.
SOURCE Activision Blizzard, Inc.