Activision Blizzard welcomes former CIA chief operating officer in its top management

Brian Bulatao has become a new chief administrative officer at Activision Blizzard. He worked as COO of the CIA and was a member of Donald Trump Administration. The company, however, decided to not publicly announce the appointment.

Brian Bulatao (image source: Exchanges Photos)

On March 29, Activision Blizzard publicly promoted Blizzard’s chief commercial officer Armin Zerza to the company’s CFO. Kotaku later viewed an email, where Bobby Kotick informed employees about hiring another person in the top management.

Activision Blizzard CEO praised Brian Bulatao’s experience, military past, and being in charge of “leading the State Department’s talent, diversity, and inclusion efforts.” As the company’s new CAO, Bulatao will oversee the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit that helps veterans from the US and Great Britain. He will also be in charge of the Corporate Social Responsibility activities at Activision Blizzard, including physical security and workplace information.

Bulatao worked under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo since 2019. Before that, he was a COO of the CIA, when Pompeo was the agency’s director. During his service, Bulatao faced criticism for “bullying” and extravagant expenditures on non-foreign policy items.

Brian Bulatao isn’t the first former government official hired by Activision Blizzard. Earlier this month, the company brought on Frances Townsend, who has been a Homeland Security Advisor to the US president George W. Bush from 2004 to 2007, as a new head of compliance.