EA CEO John Riccitiello Steps Down: Want to be Head of a Major Game Studio?

EA announced today that:

John Riccitiello will step down as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective March 30. The Board has appointed Larry Probst as Executive Chairman to ensure a smooth transition and to lead EA’s executive team while the Board conducts a search for a permanent CEO. The Board will consider internal and external candidates with the assistance of a leading executive search firm.

We’re sorry to see Riccitiello go, though EA is looking to a (hopefully) bright future. Riccitiello was appointed CEO in 2007 and has had a good run–he claims that “…EA is an outstanding company with creative and talented employees, and it has been an honor to serve as the Company’s CEO. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and after six years I feel it is the right time for me pass the baton and let new leadership take the Company into its next phase of innovation and growth.”