EA announces new CEO, Andrew Wilson

EA executive chairman, Larry Probst announced on 17 September 2013 the appointment of Andrew Wilson as the new chief executive officer of Electronic Arts.

It has been six months since former EA CEO John Riccitiello stepped down, holding himself accountable for the worse-than-expected financial performance of the company over the preceding year.

Wilson is an internal appointment, as he previously lead the EA SPORTS division.

Wilson joined EA Australia in 2000 and has held several strategic positions during his time, including extensive experience with EA’s Asia Online Publishing Group and the EA studio in Seoul, Korea. Earlier in his career, Wilson was the executive producer of the FIFA franchise. Most recently he served as Executive Vice President, overseeing EA SPORTS and the online services division, Origin.

Said Probst:

I am convinced that Andrew was an inspired choice by our Board, and one I expect the team at EA will enthusiastically support. 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.

Andrew Wilson wrote an open letter regarding his appointment, addressing customers and EA employees:

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.

Looking ahead, my focus will be on 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.

In the days and weeks ahead, I will provide a greater level of operational detail behind the plan that will make these goals a reality.

I could not be more proud to lead you as CEO of EA. Thank you in advance for your support.