Andrée Cossette, a long time managing director for Ubisoft’s Quebec studio announced she was stepping down from her role to start a new opportunity.
In a French-translated LinkedIn post, she stated she would be starting “a new professional chapter, which remains to be written,” after a long reflection. Despite the decision made amid a company-wide investigation of allegations, Cossette’s departure was unrelated. She also celebrated her time Ubisoft Quebec since she founded the studio with Nicolax Rioux in 2005.
“t the same time, I began a deeper, more personal reflection, which allowed me to realize that I was no longer where I wanted to be and that it was time for me to pass the torch and think about other projects for the future,” she wrote, adding she was incredibly proud of the Quebec team across the past 15 years.
“My decision is the result of a long reflection and is not related to the current situation within the Ubisoft Group.”
Through Quebec, Cossette had worked as its HR Director and has been credited in games such as Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, For Honor Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and almost every major installment to date. She has also made appearances across gaming conventions and networking events as the company’s representative. Apart from coordinating human resources, she also assumed the roles of change management withing Ubisoft before becoming its overall managing director up to July 2020.
According to GamesIndustry, Ubisoft’s HR department had become under fire amid a growing internal investigation of staff accused of sexual assault. An anonymous source at a recent meeting with over 90 HR managers allegedly mentioned “These articles are unfair, and if Yves [Guillemot, Ubisoft’s CEO] doesn’t share a public statement that exonerates HR, it’s simple, I will leave Ubisoft with half of my team.’ After this, all his right-hand staff fell in line: ‘I agree’, ‘I agree’…”
Cossette leaves the company shortly after high-profile staff including VP Maxine Beland and a few other executives resigned from multiple allegations which were corroborated by staff.