Activision Blizzard Further Accelerates Global Growth Strategy with Launch of New Consumer Products Division
Names Veteran Mattel and Disney Executive Tim Kilpin Division CEO and President
February 2, 2017 – Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) today announced the launch of a newly created Consumer Products division and the appointment of veteran Mattel and Disney executive Tim Kilpin as its CEO and president. The new division will further accelerate Activision Blizzard’s global growth strategy by leveraging its iconic content and creating new ways for audiences to connect with the Company’s franchises and characters.
“Inspiring play, competition, and community underpins everything we do, and giving audiences new ways to experience our franchises is core to this commitment,” said Activision Blizzard Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick. “Under Tim’s leadership, we will elevate our consumer product offerings to the same level of exceptional quality as our games and transform the ways audiences connect with the characters they love in their everyday lives.”
The launch of the new Consumer Products division is another strategic pillar in Activision Blizzard’s expansion of the platforms through which it offers its compelling franchises to audiences, including interactive content, television and film, competitive gaming and mobile.
“Activision Blizzard is a global entertainment powerhouse, and its combination of iconic franchises and massive audience reach offers incredible opportunities for retailers and partners,” said Kilpin. “I’m excited to lead this newly-formed division and join Activision Blizzard’s already incredibly talented consumer products team in delivering powerful new partnerships and even more touchpoints to audiences.”
In his new role, Kilpin will lead the development of innovative consumer products to expand and deepen audience engagement with Activision Blizzard’s iconic franchises through long-term retail partnerships, high-quality products and all new consumer experiences. Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment and King Digital’s talented consumer product teams will join Kilpin in the new division.
Most recently, Kilpin served as Mattel’s president and chief commercial officer, overseeing the company’s sales and marketing functions across all regions. Previously, he served as executive vice president for Mattel’s Boys and Girls Division, leading global brand strategy, marketing, product design and development, consumer products and content development for the company’s iconic brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels and Monster High. Prior to that, Kilpin was executive vice president of franchise management for The Walt Disney Company, where he oversaw global cross-category franchise plans for Disney Princess, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse and Pixar properties.
About Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard, Inc., a member of the S&P 500, is the world’s most successful standalone interactive entertainment company. We delight nearly 500 million monthly active users around the world through franchises including Activision’s Call of Duty®, Destiny and Skylanders®, Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft™, Diablo®, StarCraft®, and Heroes of the Storm®, and King’s Candy Crush™, Pet Rescue™ and Farm Heroes™. The company is one of the Fortune “100 Best Companies To Work For®”. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Blizzard has operations throughout the world, and its games are played in 196 countries. More information about Activision Blizzard and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activisionblizzard.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Blizzard’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the company’s Consumer Products division, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Activision Blizzard’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10‑K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and the company does not assume any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
