EA Sports boss Andrew Wilson named as EA's new Chief Executive Officer
EA’s Board of Directors has announced Andrew Wilson as its new CEO, filling the vacancy left by John Riccitiello.
The search for a new CEO was conducted by the Board from both outside the company and from within EA.
"I am convinced that Andrew was an inspired choice by our Board, and one I expect the team at EA will enthusiastically support," said Larry Probst, executive chairman. "Andrew is the first studio executive to serve as our CEO, a testament to his blend of creative skills and business acumen.
"He is a compelling and charismatic communicator who cares deeply about organizational development, teams, and the individual careers of people who work for EA. Most of all, he has a powerful sense of respect for and commitment to our consumers."
Probst, who is acting CEO, will continue to serve as the executive chairman of the board.
Wilson, who took over as head of EA Sports after Peter Moore was promoted to chief operating officer, said he was "deeply honored and humbled" over the 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.
"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.
"But we have plenty of work ahead to ensure our collective success. In the short term, our mission is crystal clear: We are 100 percent focused on delivering our FY14 business plan.
"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 said that looking ahead, his focus will be three things: "continued transformation for our digital future; delivering amazing games and services across platforms; and instilling a culture of execution that will drive profitable growth."
Along with the news, EA has released SEC documents showing that the 39-year-old Wilson will serve as an at-will employee (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 30.
Photo credit:Jarle Hrafn Grindhaug/PressFire.no.