Warner Bros. Games has suffered recently a loss of $200 million from the Suicide Squad game, which was steeped in diversity, equality and inclusivity.
Now the company is doubling down on its promise and has launched a new ‘Women and Non-Binary Leadership Program’ to ‘rehabilitate’ the male-dominated gaming industry.
Built-in contributor Brigid Hogan shared the news after the first edition of the program.
Hogan reports that the program features “25 women and non-binary leaders from Warner Bros.’ eleven global studios, global publishers and central teams. Games has engaged” with the goal of “cultivating career development opportunities for underrepresented individuals within the gaming sector, empowering diverse voices for leadership roles and shaping a more inclusive future for the industry.”
Hogan also shared comments from several attendees.
Senior Producer for WB Games Jesyca Durchin said, “If you are resistant to a program like this, perhaps consider it from a position of self-care.”
“The people I met and the way the program was organized made me feel better every day. It was self-care to learn something new. Even something as simple as finding out that I can access Linkedin Learning through my corporate membership has helped me grow and find new outlets that are both good for me and help me feel good.”
Senior Director of Business Development and Licensing Kelly C. Hill added: “I came to games full-time after a career in licensing spaces where women were the majority. I already felt like it was important for me to show up and be an example that people like me can and should have a seat at the table. The program reaffirmed my commitment to bringing more diversity to the industry and doing what I can to show people an alternative to what they might imagine as a games manager.”
“There are challenges that women and non-binary people face – in the games industry and in other industries as well – that are unique but also shared, so we had the opportunity to realize that even though our roles were completely different, we may still face the same challenges. It was really valuable to get different perspectives from people who are at different places in their journey because we were able to share personal experiences that offered insights we could pass on to people who are now facing those challenges.”
