Johanna Faries, Blizzard’s pick for its new president, stepped into her job in early February, taking the helm of the multibillion-dollar gaming giant.
Faries, 37, previously worked in Santa Monica, as general manager for Activision’s “Call of Duty.” Before that, she spent nearly 12 years at another male bastion: the National Football League, serving as vice president of club business development.
Her new office at Blizzard is part of Irvine’s “Gamer’s Gateway,” a thriving hub of a global video game industry with total annual revenues of nearly $200 billion. Blizzard, Bandai Namco Holdings and Ready at Dawn Studios have their U.S. headquarters within a few miles of Innovation Office Park, home to Sega America, Frost Studios, Twitch Interactive, Postcard Game Studio and Notorious Studios.
At Activision, among other achievements, Faries oversaw a new “anti-toxicity” effort to combat hateful speech, including by muting players’ voice chat or restricting their texts. Initiated in fall 2023, the program has since been rolled out throughout North America and several other countries.
Throughout her unconventional career, Fairies has built a reputation of working well with others. “Listen, Learn, Empower, Collaborate. Exactly what’s needed in this industry from our leaders. Thank you for setting that example,” wrote one of Faries’ colleagues, Free Range Games Director Alissa Brodsky, on Faries’ LinkedIn page.
AT A GLANCE: Johanna Faries
Resume: Six years in leadership at Activision, and 12 years with the NFL
Education: Harvard University, B.A.
Recognition: “Most Powerful Women in Sports” by Sports Illustrated in 2020; “Fortune 40 Under 40” by Fortune magazine in 2019
Raised: Potomac, Maryland
High school: Played violin, basketball, soccer, softball, track and field and received black belt in martial arts
College: President of the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College; editor of the “Let’s Go” travel guidebook
Community service: Worked with underprivileged families in the Dominican Republic
Post-college: Moved to California to write songs and make music
Favorite athletes: Michael Jordan, Jim Brown and Simone Biles
Favorite sports movie: “A League of Their Own”
Philosophy: “Stay curious”
No. 1 job: Raising two boys
Typical day: Yoga, prayer, playing Diablo IV and other video games
