Earlier this year, EA CEO John Riccitiello announced plans to step down from his position. Riccitiello stepped down at the end of March, but EA had not yet found a replacement CEO. The company appointed Larry Probst Executive Chairman to ensure a smooth transition and said he would lead EA’s executive team while the Board conducted a search for a permanent CEO. EA on Tuesday announced that new CEO is Andrew Wilson.
Andrew Wilson has worked at EA for 13 years, most recently serving as Executive VP of EA Sports and Origin and, prior to that, he headed worldwide development across the EA Sports franchise. However, Probst said yesterday that the board looked both internally and externally for a new chief executive.
“I am convinced that Andrew was an inspired choice by our Board, and one I expect the team at EA will enthusiastically support,” he said. “Andrew is the first studio executive to serve as our CEO, a testament to his blend of creative skills and business acumen.”
Andrew Wilson started in EA Australia before heading to Asia, then Europe and eventually landing at EA North America. Given his prior involvement with EA’s digital distribution platform, it’s no surprise to hear that digital is part of Wilson’s EA. Though he didn’t go into much detail on his plans, Wilson did list the ‘continued transformation’ of the company’s digital future as one of his focal points in his role as CEO.
