Johanna Faries serves as Commissioner of Call of Duty League for Activision Blizzard, Inc. overseeing league and business operations, product development, and general management of Call of Duty esports globally. In her role, she has led the formation of the new, global city-based league, which in its inaugural season includes 12 professional teams in across 4 countries featuring the best Call of Duty players in the world and dedicated amateur competition systems year-round. Faries is a sports industry veteran, who joined the company’s leadership team in 2018 after 12 years at the National Football League at its League Office Headquarters in New York City.
A graduate of Harvard University, Faries was recognized in 2019 as one of Adweek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports and listed on FORTUNE’s 40 Under 40 most influential business leaders. She also serves on the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission Advisory Board and has spoken at several established conferences, summits, and university events.
While at the NFL, Faries held a number of leadership roles across marketing, league initiative strategy, fan and business development, partnerships, and consumer products. As Vice President of Club Business Development at the National Football League, Faries interfaced closely with NFL team owners and presidents to bolster their local revenue and brand goals year-round, and played a key role in launching the NFL’s first-of-its-kind ticketing network.
Prior to that, Faries led the NFL’s efforts to amplify its reach, relevance, and popularity with key fan segments as Vice President of Marketing & Fan Development, where her charter included growing the NFL’s fan base in the near and long term, via proprietary assets, global partnerships, brand and content marketing, and tentpole events, including the creation of the NFL’s MyCauseMyCleats initiative and the record-setting elevation of the NFL Draft. In her last year at the company, Faries spearheaded the development of the league’s Social Justice Initiative, working closely with owners, players, and third party organizations to establish a new foundation for collaboration and impactful service to communities nationwide. Earlier on in her tenure, she served as Director of Consumer Products – managing the NFL’s primary apparel and e-commerce partnerships both on-field and off, including Nike, New Era, Under Armour, and Fanatics – and also held roles in the Sponsorship & Sales and Consumer Products Business Development divisions.
Throughout her career, Faries has held executive positions in a broad range of diversity and inclusion and career development and mentorship programs, and continues to do so as a senior leader advisor to Activision’s African-American, Black & Friends Employee Network. Faries grew up a multisport athlete in Potomac, Maryland, has lived abroad in both Israel and the Dominican Republic, and is also a singer-songwriter. She resides with her husband and sons in Los Angeles, CA.