Activision Shakes Up Publishing Unit

Activision (ATVI) on Thursday announced management changes at its publishing unit, promoting Ron Doornink to the newly created position of chairman of Activision Publishing.

The company also hired Michael Griffith to replace Doornink as the publishing unit's president and CEO. The changes are effective immediately, said company spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif.

Griffith, a longtime manager at Proctor & Gamble (PG), most recently served as president of the packaged goods company's global beverage division. Griffith will report to Doornink, who will report to Bobby Kotick, Activision's CEO and chairman, and company co-chairman Brian Kelly, Lataif said.

Kathy Vrabeck, who heads the publishing division's global marketing effort as its president, will remain in her current position, Lataif said. Instead of reporting to Doornink, she will now report to Griffith, she said.

The announcement followed the bell on Thursday. In after-hours trading, Activision's stock was up 4 cents, or less than 1%, to $17.62. Earlier in the day, the company's shares closed the regular session up 23 cents, or about 1%, to $17.58.

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