Yves Guillemot

How Ubisoft’s CEO runs one of the world’s biggest family businesses.

- Chris Thursten

Yves Guillemot is still building the company he and his brothers founded over 30 years ago. Ubisoft’s CEO now sits at the head of one of the biggest studio networks in the game industry, a vast creative operation that spans games and is beginning to make its first forays into cinema. Even as Ubisoft extends its reach, however, it faces the danger of a predatory buyout back home. Here, Guillemot discusses the challenges of innovating at huge, global scale; the perception of Ubisoft’s rather templated approach to game design; and the struggle to maintain independence in a company under the threat of a hostile takeover.

What’s your perspective on the recent history of the company, particularly the situation with Vivendi? 

We had Vivendi coming in, buying stock and trying to discuss with us how they could get more of the company. We said that we weren’t interested in having a company coming in from the outside and not speaking with us before buying shares. From that time, we’ve not been able to discuss it too much.

Those guys, they have a reputation of being a company that acquires creeping control. We said that we were not interested in creeping control; that if they wanted to buy the company, they had to make an offer. We weren’t interested in them buying stakes in the company step by step, then taking control without paying a premium.

For you personally, or more broadly for the business, why is retaining control important?