Three more executives at Ubisoft have resigned on Sunday thanks to ongoing investigations into sexual harassment within the company.
It began with Maxime Béland, Vice President of Ubisoft’s Editorial department, and one of the central figures at Ubisoft that had been accused of sexual harassment. Now, three more resignations have come thanks to the internal investigations within the company that was sparked largely by complaints against Béland.
In a press release, Ubisoft announced the departures of Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët, Ubisoft Canada Director Yannis Mallat, and Global Head of HR Cécile Cornet. Their resignations are all effective immediately.
Serge Hascoët had been one of the key drivers at Ubisoft, coordinating between the company's various development teams and having a hand in nearly every new game Ubisoft created. The company's statement did not provide a specific reason for Hascoët's resignation, but French magazine Libération recently published an exposé that reveals Serge harassed female employees and even drugged them without their knowledge.
Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot will take over Hascoët's role and "oversee a complete overhaul of the way in which the creative teams collaborate."
Ubisoft Canada Managing Director Yannis Mallat was next on the list of resignations, due to "allegations that have come to light in Canada against multiple employees." Mallat felt that the number of allegations was so numerous that he could no longer effectively fulfill his role, and so stepped down. His replacement will be hired as soon as possible.
And finally, Global Head of HR Cécile Cornet stepped down as she believes "it is in the best interest of the Company's unity." Although not accused of harassment herself, Ubisoft HR has come under fire as the "silencing force" within the company that enabled these toxic men to behave so poorly for so long.
There are even reports of open revolt with Ubisoft HR following these investigations, and Cornet likely resigned in order to quell an uprising.
“Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees,” said Guillemot in a statement. “I am committed to implementing profound changes across the Company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture.”
Ubisoft is certain to undergo rapid changes as its internal investigations prompt more top executives to resign.
Source: Ubisoft, Libération, Twitter