Johanna Faries is a former NFL and Call of Duty executive who has recently been appointed as the new president of Blizzard Entertainment, one of the most iconic and influential video game developers in the industry.

Faries is the first woman to lead Blizzard, and she has a challenging task ahead of her: to restore the company’s reputation and culture after a series of scandals, lawsuits, and layoffs that have shaken its foundations.

Early Life and Education

Johanna Faries was born in 1986 in New York City, and she grew up in a family of avid gamers. Her father, John Faries, was a software engineer who worked for IBM and Microsoft, and he introduced her to video games at a young age. Her mother, Barbara Faries, was a teacher and a writer who encouraged her to pursue her passions and interests.

Johanna attended the prestigious Brearley School, an all-girls private school in Manhattan, where she excelled academically and athletically. She was the captain of the varsity soccer and basketball teams, and she won several awards and honors for her achievements. She also developed a love for writing and journalism, and she was the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper.

Johanna Faries graduated from Brearley in 2004, and she enrolled at Harvard University, where she majored in sociology and minored in government. She continued to play soccer and basketball at the collegiate level, and she was a member of the Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper. She also participated in various extracurricular activities, such as the Harvard Model Congress, the Harvard Women’s Leadership Conference, and the Harvard Black Students Association.

Johanna graduated from Harvard in 2008, with honors and a Phi Beta Kappa distinction. She was also awarded the Harvard-Radcliffe Foundation for Women’s Athletics Prize, which recognizes the senior woman who best exemplifies the qualities of excellent scholarship, character, leadership, and athletic ability.

Johanna Faries Wiki/Bio

Career and Achievements

After graduating from Harvard, Johanna Faries joined the National Football League (NFL) as a business analyst in the league office in New York. She worked on various projects and initiatives related to the NFL’s strategy, operations, and innovation. She quickly rose through the ranks, and she became the director of football development in 2014. In this role, she oversaw the NFL’s efforts to grow and diversify the game of football, such as the NFL Women’s Summit, the NFL Legends Community, and the NFL Careers in Football Forum.

In 2018, Johanna decided to make a career change and pursue her passion for video games. She joined Activision Blizzard, the parent company of Blizzard Entertainment, as the head of Call of Duty esports. She was responsible for leading the global strategy and vision for the Call of Duty esports ecosystem, which includes the Call of Duty League, the Call of Duty Challengers, and the Call of Duty Mobile World Championship. She also managed the relationships with the league’s franchise owners, sponsors, and partners.

In 2021, Johanna was promoted to the general manager of the Call of Duty franchise, one of the most popular and profitable video game series in history. She oversaw the development, production, marketing, and distribution of all Call of Duty titles, including Call of Duty: Vanguard, Call of Duty: Warzone, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. She also led the expansion and innovation of the Call of Duty brand, such as the launch of the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit organization that helps veterans find high-quality jobs.

Joining Blizzard Entertainment as President

In 2024, Johanna Faries was appointed as the new president of Blizzard Entertainment, following the departure of Mike Ybarra, who left the company amid a wave of layoffs and restructuring. Faries became the first woman and the first person of color to lead Blizzard, which is known for creating some of the most beloved and acclaimed video games in the industry, such as Warcraft, Diablo, StarCraft, and Overwatch.

Johanna Faries inherited a company that was facing a series of challenges and controversies, such as a lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which accused Blizzard of fostering a toxic and discriminatory work environment, especially for women and minorities. Faries also had to deal with the fallout of Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which raised questions about the future and autonomy of Blizzard.

Faries expressed her excitement and humility about joining Blizzard, and she vowed to do everything she could to help the company thrive and serve its loyal and passionate player communities. She also acknowledged the differences and diversity between Activision, Blizzard, and King, the three main divisions of Activision Blizzard, and she said she would respect and honor Blizzard’s unique culture, games, and communities. She also said she would work closely with the Blizzard leadership team and the Blizzard employees to explore new ways to take the Blizzard universes to even higher heights.

Personal Life, Spouse & Kids

Faries is married to Jonathan Burg, a former Harvard classmate and a co-founder and partner of Finsbury Glover Hering, a global strategic communications and public affairs firm. The couple has two sons, who are also avid gamers. Faries and her family live in Los Angeles, California.

Physical Stats

• Height: 5 feet 5 inches
• Weight: 50 kilograms
• Eye Color: Black
• Hair Color: Black

Interests & Hobbies

Johanna Faries is a devout Christian, and she practices yoga and meditation daily. She is also a fan of Diablo IV, one of Blizzard’s upcoming games, and she enjoys playing video games with her family and friends. She is active on social media, and she has accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where she shares her personal and professional updates, insights, and opinions.

Johanna is also involved in various philanthropic and social causes, such as the Call of Duty Endowment, the Women in Games International, the Women in Sports and Events, and the Harvard Alumni Association. She is also a mentor and a speaker, and she has participated in several events and panels, such as the Forbes Under 30 Summit, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, the Game Developers Conference, and the Esports Business Summit.

Net Worth and Salary

Johanna Faries has not disclosed her exact net worth and salary, but she is estimated to be worth millions of dollars, given her successful and influential career in the NFL and the video game industry. She is also one of the highest-paid executives in Activision Blizzard, and she likely received a significant pay raise and bonus when she became the president of Blizzard Entertainment.

According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a president of a video game company in the United States is $208,000 per year, but this can vary depending on the size, reputation, and performance of the company. Faries is likely to earn much more than that, as Blizzard Entertainment is one of the largest and most respected video game developers in the world, with annual revenues of over $2 billion and a global fan base of over 100 million players.

NFL Concussion Lawsuit

Johanna worked for the National Football League (NFL) from 2006 to 2018, and during that time, she was involved in various initiatives and projects related to the league’s strategy, operations, and innovation. However, she also witnessed and participated in some of the league’s controversial and contentious issues, such as the concussion lawsuit that was filed by thousands of former players who accused the NFL of hiding the risks and effects of brain injuries caused by playing football.

The lawsuit was settled in 2013, with the NFL agreeing to pay $765 million to the plaintiffs, but the settlement was later revised to remove the cap on the compensation fund, which could potentially reach over $1 billion. Johanna was one of the league executives who helped negotiate and implement the settlement, as well as the league’s policies and programs to improve player health and safety, such as the concussion protocol, the helmet rule, and the independent neurologist system.

However, the settlement and the league’s efforts were criticized by some players, doctors, lawyers, and advocates, who argued that the NFL was still not doing enough to protect its players from the long-term consequences of brain trauma, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that can cause memory loss, depression, dementia, and suicide. Some also claimed that the settlement was unfair, inadequate, and discriminatory, as it excluded or limited the eligibility and compensation of certain groups of players, such as those who played before 1987, those who died before 2006, and those who suffered from mood and behavioral disorders.

Johanna Faries is a trailblazing and inspiring leader who has made history as the first woman and the first person of color to become the president of Blizzard Entertainment. She has a remarkable and diverse background in the NFL and the Call of Duty franchise, and she brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and vision to Blizzard, which is facing a critical and pivotal moment in its history. Johanna is passionate and committed to creating and delivering the best and most epic entertainment experiences for the Blizzard player communities, and she is determined to restore and enhance the company’s reputation and culture. Faries is also a role model and a mentor for many women and minorities who aspire to pursue a career in the video game industry, and she is a champion for diversity, inclusion, and innovation in the gaming world.

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