Activision Blizzard has recruited Frances Townsend as executive vice president for corporate affairs, corporate secretary and chief compliance officer. In her new role she also oversees government affairs, public policy and communications among other functions at the Nasdaq-listed company.
Townsend was most recently vice chair, general counsel and chief administrative officer at MacAndrews & Forbes. Before that, she was a corporate partner with law firm Baker Botts.
Between 2004 and 2008, Townsend served as the assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism to then president George W Bush, chairing the Homeland Security Council. She served as deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism from 2003 to 2004, having previously spent 13 years at the US Department of Justice under the administrations of presidents George HW Bush, Bill Clinton and George W Bush.
Townsend serves on several non-profit boards including the Atlantic Council, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Council on Foreign Relations. She is co-chair of the Council on Foreign Relations-sponsored Independent Task Force on Preparing for the Next Pandemic.
Interactive entertainment company Activision Blizzard produces games such as Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Diablo and King’s Candy Crush.
‘Fran is a highly regarded public servant and corporate executive. We are very fortunate to have her wealth of experience added to our leadership team,’ CEO Bobby Kotick says in a statement. ‘Our company will benefit greatly from her energy, intellect and stewardship.’
Ben Maiden
Ben Maiden is the editor-at-large of Governance Intelligence, an IR Media publication, having joined the company in December 2016. He is based in New York. Ben was previously managing editor of Compliance Reporter, covering regulatory and compliance...
