Ubisoft names the company CEO’s son Charlie Guillemot as co-CEO of new Tencent-funded subsidiary – ‘What matters now isn’t my name, it’s the work ahead’

Ubisoft has named the co-CEOs of its new subsidiary, Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot, the son of the publisher’s current CEO, Yves Guillemot
The subsidiary’s goal is to bring the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchises “to their full potential”
Charlie Guillemot has addressed the nepotism concerns, saying, “What matters now isn’t my name, it’s the work ahead”

Ubisoft has announced the co-CEOs of its new Tencent-funded subsidiary, Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot, the son of the publisher’s current CEO, Yves Guillemot.

The company named the co-CEOs in a new blog post, stating that the subsidiary’s new structure will be dedicated to bringing some of the publisher’s biggest franchises, such as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, “to their full potential.”

“With complementary backgrounds, Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot bring their strong industry expertise, deep knowledge of the Ubisoft ecosystem, and a shared culture of innovation to the role,” Ubisoft said.

Derennes co-founded Ubisoft’s Montreal studio in 1997 and most recently served as managing director for the North American region, while Guillemot began his career at Owlient in 2014, a studio acquired by Ubisoft, and later returned to Ubisoft in 2025 to join its transformation committee.

“With this new subsidiary, we want to build on that strong foundation by creating the right environment for the teams working on Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six to take the creative and technical risks needed to make excellent games,” Guillemot said.

“Our focus is on evolving Ubisoft’s operating model to bring more focus, more autonomy, and more accountability to the teams so they can stay closely attuned to our players. Decision making will be quicker, and it will also be easier to pivot when we need to change course.”

Guillemot stressed that the idea isn’t to start from scratch, but to “evolve our organization and ways of working to get back on the path to success”.

Assassin's Creed Shadows — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Derennes echoed Guillemot’s earlier sentiment, saying that it’s their long-term objective with the subsidiary to “grow these iconic brands — while remaining loyal to their DNA — into experiences that are constantly enriching and surprising to our players.”

In a separate interview with Variety following the announcement, Charlie Guillemot was asked to address the nepotism concerns now that he is a co-CEO of a subsidiary under his father’s company.

“I completely understand where it comes from, and I want to be clear about it. Yes, I’m Yves’ son,” he said. “That’s not something I hide from. But my appointment isn’t only about family ties; it’s about what Ubisoft needs at this moment.”

He continued: “I’ve spent the last decade building experience both inside and outside Ubisoft, leading teams, managing brands, and navigating change in a fast-moving industry. I also made the conscious choice to step away when it made sense, to learn and grow elsewhere.

“What matters now isn’t my name, it’s the work ahead. Ubisoft is at a pivotal moment. What’s expected of me is to help push the company forward by bringing energy, focus, and by relying on the incredible expertise that already exists across the teams. I see myself as someone here to contribute, support, and help create the right conditions are in place for everyone to do their best work.”

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Ubisoft names the company CEO’s son Charlie Guillemot as co-CEO of new Tencent-funded subsidiary – ‘What matters now isn’t my name, it’s the work ahead’