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Activision Publishing Gets New CEO
Eric Hirshberg is a marketing executive who will now oversee operations management, product development, and consumer marketing for one of gaming's biggest companies.
Activision Blizzard dramatically restructured recently into several separate arms, each with its own identity and focus, including a Blizzard branch, a designated Call of Duty section, as well as separate departments for owned and licensed games.
Robert "Bobby" Kotick remains the overall CEO for Activision Blizzard, and had this to say about the latest addition to the senior management team at the company: "In contemplating the requirements for the role of Activision Publishing's new CEO we believed it was vital to have a leader who was a dedicated gamer, inspired creative thinker, and possessed the ability to manage and lead creative talent in a manner that produced both superior products and provided superior shareholder returns. Eric is unique in this regard. There was no one we could find who possessed the unique blend of skills that Eric brings to Activision."
The former CEO of Activision Publishing, Mike Griffith, has moved up to the position of Vice Chairman of Activision Blizzard, and Hirshberg will be reporting to Thomas Tippl, COO of Activision Blizzard, who filled the role of CEO on an interim basis until Hirshberg was hired.
Hirshberg comes most recently from a role as chief executive officer and chief creative officer of advertising agency Deutsch LA, putting him in a unique position to strengthen Activision's advertising strength in the coming years. How might you know Hirshberg's work? Deutsch LA has dozens of big name clients, including Kodak, Ikea, HTC, DirectTV, and Volkswagen. More relevant to gamers is the firm's recent work with the Sony PlayStation brand, which includes the popular Kevin Butler TV ads.
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