Claude Guillemot, co-founder and executive vice-president of Ubisoft, died on June 19 in a plane crash near La Baule airfield in Loire-Atlantique, France. He was 69 years old.
The twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed during its approach to the aerodrome between 5 and 6 p.m. local time, killing both Guillemot and a flight instructor who was onboard as a passenger. Family members were notified the same evening.
A founding pillar of the gaming industry
Ubisoft was founded in March 1986 by the Guillemot brothers, a family whose name became synonymous with some of the most recognizable franchises in video game history. Think Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six. Claude served as executive vice-president, helping steer the company from a small French software distributor into a global gaming powerhouse.
His role was less public-facing than that of his brother Yves Guillemot, who has served as CEO, but Claude’s influence on the company’s strategic direction and corporate structure was foundational. In a family-run empire where five brothers each carved out distinct responsibilities, Claude occupied the kind of quiet, load-bearing position that tends to be underappreciated until it’s gone.
