"Each time we've been made aware of misconduct, we made tough decisions," says Ubisoft CEO

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said on an investors call today, that each time the company had been made aware of misconduct, it acted.

Answering a question during the investors call regarding recent allegations of abuse at the company, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said the individuals in question "didn't adhere" to the company's "shared values."

"Each time we've been made aware of misconduct, we made tough decisions and made sure that those decisions had a clear and positive impact," said Guillemot (thanks, GI.biz).

"It has now become clear that certain individuals betrayed the trust I placed in them and didn't adhere to Ubisoft's shared values. So I have never compromised on my core values and ethics, and I never will."

Most recently, the company's PR director Stone Chin was fired as Ubisoft conduct investigations into allegations of harassment and abuse in the workplace. Chin said that he had not been fired due to the result of any investigation into allegations, but had instead been terminated for his management style.

And, following a number of allegations Ubisoft announced the departure of three of its top executives: Serge Hascoet, Cecile Cornet, and Ubisoft Canada head Yannis Mallat.

In light of the allegations, Ubisoft is also making some major changes following harassment allegations within the group.

Here's the five point action plan it has put in place:

1. A series of investigations led by independent external consultants is being carried out on the allegations with all the necessary rigor. In addition, a confidential third-party managed listening and alert platform has been put in place to enable employees as well as external individuals to anonymously report any harassment, discrimination or other inappropriate behavior. Based on the findings of these investigations, all appropriate measures are being and will be taken. The external company will issue regular reports to Ubisoft’s Board of Directors. To date, several people, including senior managers, have left the Group or stepped down from their role within the Company, some of whom have been dismissed or have resigned and others who have been suspended. A support and recovery unit has also been put in place, which will be overseen by an organization specialized in helping victims of harassment.
2. A review of the composition and reorganization of the editorial department has been undertaken under the leadership of Yves Guillemot, with an overhaul of the way in which the teams work together.
3. The Group has embarked on a transformation of its HR processes in order to better prevent, detect, and sanction inappropriate behavior. For that purpose, it has selected a leading consultancy firm to perform an external audit. It has also been decided that a portion of team leads’ bonuses will be tied to their ability to create a positive and inclusive workplace environment. And lastly, the Group intends to launch a harassment awareness-raising campaign among all of its employees which will take the form of training modules.
4. Ubisoft has launched a group-wide questionnaire to obtain their feedback on a totally anonymous basis and has put in place talking and listening sessions for employees on all of its sites with the aim of addressing their suggestions and concerns and identifying areas for improvement.
5. A Head of Workplace Culture has been appointed and a new position of Head of Diversity and Inclusion has been created, open to both internal and external candidates. Both of these roles will report directly to Yves Guillemot.