Tjodolf Sommestad has been crowned new president at King, stepping up from his former role as chief development officer.
His predecessor as president Humam Sakhnini is stepping down after six years at King – and 12 years at Activision Blizzard – to return to the US with his family. King cofounder and chief creative officer Sebastian Knutsson is also departing to focus on charity work.
Sommestad is president effective immediately, though Sakhnini will assist the transition until the end of March. The new boss has worked at King for more than a decade and has led King’s games studios, technology teams and also previously served as SVP of the Candy Crush franchise and Central Studios.
CEO of Activision Blizzard Bobby Kotick said of the moves: “I want to thank Humam Sakhnini and Sebastian Knutsson. I have greatly valued my partnership over these twelve years with Humam. He was instrumental in both the acquisition of Blizzard and King, and our company has been fortunate for his contributions.”
“And Sebastian helped created an entire industry bringing gaming to hundreds of millions of new players around the world,” continued Kotick.
“He is a pioneer and visionary, and we are grateful for the passion and creativity he inspired within King. Both Humam and Sebastian have worked tirelessly to build a great culture at King and prepare the business for this exciting next level.”
