We hosted our second annual Women’s Summit last Friday, March 8, International Women’s Day. The Summit was attended by more than 450 Blizzard employees, who connected through a series of informative talks and workshops.

After opening remarks from Jesse Meschuk, SVP of Human Resources, the first speaker of the day was Dr. Valerie Young, an expert on impostor syndrome. Dr. Young’s talk included useful information about where impostor syndrome comes from, how common it is, and most importantly, strategies on how to manage and cope with the feelings and anxiety derived from impostor syndrome.

The next session was a panel on breaking the glass ceiling, moderated by Claire Hart, Chief Legal Officer. The panelists included Dani Burr, business operations manager of the Global Broadcast team; Julia Humphreys, lead producer on Team 3; Virginia Nguyen, director of Diversity & Inclusion at Activision Blizzard; and Vesna Penava, senior director of HR. The panelists shared anecdotes and advice on navigating challenges they’ve faced in the workplace and overcoming stereotypes, prompted by top questions submitted by Blizzard employees.

The final seminar of the day was led by Ingrid Wiese, an executive coach and leadership trainer. Her talk focused on sharing techniques to improve networking skills and building productive working relationships. After some closing remarks from president J. Allen Brack, the summit ended with a networking mixer, where the mixed group of Blizzard employees were able to meet and connect with colleagues and discuss the summit.

Overall, attendees were enthusiastic about this year’s summit. Cassandra Reynoso, associate PR manager in Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues, said,

It was my first time attending the Blizzard Women’s Summit! I’ve heard tons of great feedback and learnings from the first summit through friends, but getting to actually experience the summit in person and see the faces of wonderful women and allies is a whole new experience.

Jennifer Owings Burnett, senior production supervisor in Blizzard Animation, added,

My favorite part of the summit is being able to connect with people from around the company that I normally wouldn’t have the pleasure of meeting. I like that the Summit not only provides a space for people to learn and grow, but to also pause and take a moment to reach out and appreciate each other and how we have grown.