Dennis Durkin resigned from Smartsheet’s board on August 21, 2022, less than three weeks after joining. Smartsheet’s filing gave “personal reasons” as the reason and said the resignation was not due to a disagreement with the company or board. The filing did not specify those reasons. The departure came amid reported employee concern over his appointment and his former senior role at Activision Blizzard, but Smartsheet did not identify that backlash as the cause of his resignation.
What happened, and when?
Smartsheet appointed Durkin to its board and Audit Committee effective August 3, 2022. The company said he had informed the board on August 21 that he intended to resign, effective that day. Smartsheet filed the departure notice with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on August 22.
In its filing, Smartsheet said Durkin cited “personal reasons.” It also stated: “Mr. Durkin’s resignation is not due to any disagreement with the Company or the Board on any matters relating to the Company’s operations, policies, or practices.” The filing does not explain his personal reasons, so a more specific explanation is not established by the public record cited here. Smartsheet’s August 3, 2022 Form 8-K and August 22, 2022 Form 8-K document the appointment and departure.
Why did the appointment draw employee concern?
Contemporary reporting by GeekWire described internal concern and frustration after Smartsheet announced Durkin’s appointment. Employees questioned whether the choice aligned with the company’s stated priorities for a safe and equitable workplace, given Durkin’s former senior role at Activision Blizzard. The report said concerns were raised in internal forums and calls and among members of Smartsheet’s Women’s Employee Resource Group. These are reported employee reactions, not explanations given in the SEC filing for Durkin’s resignation.
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GeekWire also reported scrutiny of the selection process because Durkin and Smartsheet CEO Mark Mader had both attended Dartmouth and played football there. The article relayed a source’s account that the two were not personal friends and that a board search committee brought Durkin forward. Those details come from the reporting, not the company’s SEC filings. GeekWire’s August 22, 2022 report includes the company’s response and a later editor’s note about the legal record.
How did Smartsheet respond?
Smartsheet acknowledged that its appointment process could improve. The company said: “Our board conducted a robust recruitment and vetting process for the skills and experience we needed to add to our board. In listening to our employees, it’s clear we can improve this process.” It also said it was working to address gaps and that employee safety and wellbeing were foundational.
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What was Durkin’s role at Activision Blizzard?
Smartsheet’s August 3 filing said Durkin retired from Activision Blizzard in May 2021. He served as its CFO from March 2012 to May 2017 and again from January 2019 to May 2021, and as chief corporate officer from May 2017 to January 2019. Before joining Activision Blizzard, he held leadership roles at Microsoft from 1999 to 2012, most recently as corporate vice president and chief operating and financial officer of Interactive Entertainment.
What did the Activision Blizzard legal proceedings establish?
The workplace issues associated with Activision Blizzard involved separate federal and California proceedings. Their outcomes should not be treated as a personal finding against Durkin.
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| Proceeding | Date and outcome | What the outcome establishes |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) | In March 2022, a federal court approved an $18 million consent decree resolving the EEOC’s lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, and retaliation. | It establishes the lawsuit and its resolution by consent decree; it is not a personal court finding against Durkin. The EEOC’s announcement describes the decree. |
| California Civil Rights Department (CRD) | In December 2023, the CRD announced an approximately $54 million settlement with Activision Blizzard. | GeekWire later added an editor’s note stating that the resulting consent decree said no court or investigation substantiated allegations that senior executives ignored, condoned, or tolerated systemic harassment, retaliation, or discrimination. Neither the settlement release nor that note establishes personal liability for Durkin. The CRD’s settlement release describes the state matter. |
What can be concluded about the resignation?
The timing connects Durkin’s departure to a period of employee backlash, but timing alone does not establish that the backlash caused him to resign. Smartsheet’s formal explanation was personal reasons, and the company expressly said the resignation did not stem from a disagreement about its operations, policies, or practices. The specific personal reason remains undisclosed in the cited filings.
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