Playdom snaps up Pleasants as CEO
Electronic Arts global publishing president and COO joins major social gaming publisher
Social gaming publisher Playdom has announced that Electronic Arts president of global publishing and COO John Pleasants has joined the company as CEO.
Pleasants oversaw EA's casual and social gaming initiatives, including its mobile division and Pogo, making him the "obvious choice," said Playdom.
"John’s operational expertise and strong industry relationships will be key to scaling the company quickly and forging the right partnerships," said Playdom co-founder and former CEO Dan Yue, who has now transitioned to the position of chief product officer.
"Moreover, John’s vision for the future of social gaming aligns strongly with my own. I look forward to working closely with him to deliver a bigger, bolder social gaming experience to our players."
"I’m thrilled to join Playdom," said Pleasants. "Online gaming is the fastest growing sector of the gaming industry, and social gaming, in particular, is transforming the way people play and experience games. With its expertise understanding player behavior, Playdom is uniquely well positioned to lead the industry."
Pleasants joined EA as its president of global publishing in 2008. Prior to EA, he worked on an executive level at Revolution Health and Ticketmaster, and held senior management roles at Evite, Match.com and CitySearch.