Ubisoft has announced that several of their top executives would be leaving Ubisoft, including Serge Hascoët, resigning from his position as Chief Creative Officer, Yannis Mallat, Managing Director of Ubisoft’s Canadian studios, and Cécile Cornet, who was once the Global Head of HR.
For Serge Hascoët, he chose to resign from his position and is currently being replaced by Yves Guillemot, CEO and Co-Founder of Ubisoft, for the time being. Guillemot is also taking the time to do a "complete overhaul" regarding how Ubisoft's creative teams collaborate with one another. If you're interested to know why he chose to resign, there is an illuminating Twitter thread showing why he left, mostly because there was "environmental harassment" for those working under Hascoët.
There were also allegations against Mallat, with the company stating that recent allegations against him meant that it quickly became "impossible for him to continue in this position."
For Cornet, she decided to step down from her role as she believes "it is in the best interest of the company's unity." In response to this, Ubisoft has begun restructuring its HR functionality. To do this, they have hired a consulting frim to audit and reshape its HR procedures and policies.
“Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees. This is unacceptable, as toxic behaviors are in direct contrast to values on which I have never compromised — and never will. I am committed to implementing profound changes across the Company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture,” said Yves Guillemot, CEO and Co-Founder of Ubisoft. “Moving forward, as we collectively embark on a path leading to a better Ubisoft, it is my expectation that leaders across the Company manage their teams with the utmost respect. I also expect them to work to drive the change we need, always thinking of what is best for Ubisoft and all its employees.”
Some may have wondered why this wasn't addressed at the recent Ubisoft Forward event--which also took place yesterday--but to that the company released a statement, stating that the show was pre-recorded and that "it won't be addressed directly in the show." More updates are apparently coming, which is good to hear.
What do you think of this news? Do you think this is purely reactionary rather than proactive? Let us know in the comments!
