Dennis Durkin is one of the most prolific and well-known game industry executives. He has held several leadership positions throughout his career, including CEO of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, President of Activision Blizzard’s games studio Activision-Blizzard New York (ATNY), President and CEO at Bethesda Softworks, President and CEO at Vivendi Universal Games.
Durkin has been widely successful in the games industry and was named by Fortune as one of the most powerful leaders in media. He has also been recognized for his Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award from the Game Developers Choice Awards and several other achievements.
With a background in engineering, Dennis Durkin has an innovative and pragmatic approach to business. He has led companies through difficult transition periods and has helped companies in the games industry become more profitable and cohesive. Durkin is interested in making games that can have a positive social impact globally. He has promoted this approach in his positions at Vivendi Universal Games and Activision-Blizzard New York (ATNY).
He was responsible for making strategic investments in the US education system. This approach was motivated by the idea that the US needs to catch up with other countries in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. This was a big hit with educators and parents alike.
Dennis Durkin made strategic investments into the US education system through ATNY. He invested in educational game development to produce games teachers could use to teach various concepts. These games were available for free on the Internet and through commercial outlets. He has spent up to 40% of his time on social impact initiatives.
Every aspect of Durkin’s work has been founded on his interest in creating games that can have a positive social impact on a global scale. He has been passionate about this for many years, believing that games are a unique form of media that can promote learning and entertainment. Durkin’s drive to get others interested in this viewpoint has become more successful as the games industry has matured.