Blizzard Hires Its First VP of Culture to Make the Company ‘More Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive’

Blizzard Entertainment has hired Jessica Martinez as its first Vice President, Head of Culture as part of its “ongoing initiative to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture where people at every level can learn, grow, and bring their most creative selves to their work.”Blizzard shared the news in a blogpost, saying that Jessica and other members of the leadership team will be in charge of “implementing our culture strategy, ensuring alignment across all teams and functions, and revamping learning and talent development programs.”Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment“When you create a people-first environment where teams feel safe, valued, and work together toward a shared purpose, everyone thrives–the employees, the players, and the business,” Martinez said. “Making the values of our connections show up in what we do is how we bring humanity back to business.”Jessica comes to Blizzard with more than 14 years of experience at The Walt Disney Company, where she was a leader in strategy, communications, operations, and employee experience. She served as Chief of Staff and was a key strategic advisor to both the Chief Security Office and the Chief Technology & Digital Officer for Disney Parks & Resorts.She was also an integral part of Disney’s 21st Century Fox acquisition, and was a champion of “creating a values-driven culture that connected global teams and celebrated diversity.”Activision Blizzard Lawsuit Timeline: The Story So FarMartinez joins Blizzard as it is undergoing not only its planned acquisition by Microsoft, but also as the company and the larger Activision Blizzard deals with the fallout of a lawsuit filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing that alleged the company fostered a “frat boy” culture in which female employees were subjected to sexual harasssment, unequal pay, and much more.Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.



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