EA Boss Calls For Safer Workspaces: "Leaders Who Fall Short Of This Must Go"
Laura Miele, the chief operating officer at megapublisher Electronic Arts, gave an impassioned speech at the annual gaming convention DICE today in Las Vegas in which she called for the gaming industry to create safe spaces and do more to promote diversity and inclusion.
Speaking at DICE's opening keynote, «Realizing Our Full Potential to Lead the Modern Entertainment Industry,» Miele said it is imperative that the gaming industry creates «real accountability» for its leaders. Anyone who falls short needs to go, Miele said.
She said the gaming industry can achieve this accountability through its existing trade groups and by creating new ones to «protect, defend, and fight for everyone» in the gaming industry.
«We have to have fair and safe work environments, at the very least. This is just basic table stakes,» Miele said.
Without naming any specific person by name, Miele said the past year has provided examples of high-level leaders in gaming falling short. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has been accused of, among other things, knowing about and covering up instances of sexual harassment and abuse, and threatening to kill a female worker. He is now reportedly set to leave Activision Blizzard with many millions of dollars. High-level executives at companies like Ubisoft and Riot have been called out for bad behavior recently, too.
«We've seen leaders at the highest level fall short of setting the right standards. I don't care how successful the business is. Leaders who fall short of this must go,» Miele said. «With far higher standards of expectations and measures that come from everywhere--investors, boards of directors, leadership teams. And it can come from all of us from across the industry. We need a safe place
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