Electronic Arts’ Board of Directors has announced that EA Sports boss, Andrew Wilson, is the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. Larry Probst, who has been the acting CEO since John Riccitiello’s departure, will continue to serve as the executive chairman of the board.
“I am convinced that Andrew was an inspired choice by our Board, and one I expect the team at EA will enthusiastically support,” Probst said, in part. “Andrew is the first studio executive to serve as our CEO, a testament to his blend of creative skills and business acumen.”
Wilson took over as head of EA Sports after Peter Moore was promoted to chief operating officer. He said he was “deeply honored and humbled” over his new position.
“I have a profound respect and passion for this organization, as well as for our global community of fans, and I’m incredibly motivated to serve our people, our gamers and our shareholders at such an exciting time in our industry,” he said, in part.
“I envision EA as the World’s Greatest Games Company. This is not about what we are aiming for or what we will become. Rather, it is about an unfaltering commitment to what we will be every day. This is an attitude that must drive our culture as one team. I also believe EA’s strategy is sound. Our focus on our talent, our brands and our platform together with our investment in next-generation consoles, mobile and PC free-to-play, as part of our ongoing transition to digital, is right.”
“We have made strong progress in the first half of the fiscal year, establishing financial discipline and continuing to create a slate of fantastic games for current and next-generation consoles, mobile and PC. But now we’ve got to finish the job – execute in Q3 and Q4 and deliver on the promises we made to our fans and our shareholders.”
Wilson also said that as CEO his three main focuses will be: “continued transformation for our digital future; delivering amazing games and services across platforms; and instilling a culture of execution that will drive profitable growth.”
EA has also released the SEC documents showing that Wilson will serve with no contract, earn an annual salary of $800,000 along with a target bonus of 150% as well as options for 1 million shares valued at closing price on September 30th.
(via VG247)