Despite criticism for allegations of perpetuating Activision Blizzard's toxic work culture, Bobby Kotick will retain his position on the board of directors.
SUN VALLEY, ID - JULY 10: Bobby Kotick, chief executive officer of Activision Blizzard, attends the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 10, 2019 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
CEO For Another Year
Investors voted on a number of proposals during the video game creators' annual meeting of stockholders, as well as who would serve on the board of directors for the upcoming year.
Kotick's retention on the board was approved by 533,703,580 shareholders in total, while 62,597,199 shareholders voted against it.
This means that Kotick will maintain his position until the subsequent gathering in 2023, according to GameInformer.
Even though the majority of shareholders decided to keep Kotick on the board, they also agreed to a proposal to publish an annual report that outlines Activision's policies for handling allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
This means that the majority agreed to detail Activision Blizzard's efforts to stop sexual misconduct and workplace issues.
Issues Against Kotick
Employees at Activision Blizzard last year staged a walkout and demanded Kotick's ouster after The Wall Street Journal reported that the chief executive was aware of the abuses at the company and even shielded the employees who were alleged with harassment.
As noted by Engadget, the videogame publisher was charged by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing last year for allegedly promoting a "frat boy" culture in the workplace.
The two-year investigation by the California agency revealed that Activision Blizzard paid its female employees less than its male colleagues and had experienced sexual harassment.
Further, the New York City Employee's Retirement System, an owner of the company's stock and represents the city's police, firefighters, and teachers, has recently sued Kotick, claiming that he was unfit to negotiate the company's impending sale to Microsoft.
The organization cited that his "personal responsibility and liability for Activision's broken workplace" makes him unqualified for the deal.
In April, the business appointed a new chief diversity, equality, and inclusion officer to support creating a more inclusive working environment.
To address Kotick and the new chief diversity officer's concerns, a group of workers looking to safeguard their coworkers against discrimination created a committee and wrote several demands for them.
Activision Blizzard published the findings of its internal probe on its investor website earlier this month. While acknowledging specific cases of harassment, the study asserted that there was "no indication" that senior executives ignored the problem or withheld information from the Board.
Related Article: Activision Blizzard Accused of Illegally 'Withholding and Suppressing Evidence' in Harassment Lawsuit Expansion
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
