Andrew Wilson (businessman)
{{short description|Australian businessman (born 1974)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Andrew Wilson
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|9|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = Geelong, Victoria, Australia{{cite web |last1=Robischon |first1=Noah |title=Interview with Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA |url=https://schedule.sxsw.com/2014/events/event_IAP28102 |website=SXSW |access-date=March 22, 2024 |date=2014}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Australian
| other_names =
| alma mater = Queensland University of Technology
| occupation = Chairman and CEO of Electronic Arts
| years_active = 2000–present
| employer =
| known_for =
| predecessor = John Riccitiello
}}
Andrew Wilson (born 7 September 1974){{cn|date=January 2024}} is an Australian businessman who has been the CEO of Electronic Arts (EA) since September 2013. He has also been chairman of the company since 2021.
Early life and education
Wilson grew up in a working-class family in Victoria and Queensland, Australia.{{cite news |last1=Kehoe |first1=John |title=Electronic Arts boss Andrew Wilson is one of Australia's top global CEOs |url=https://www.afr.com/technology/electronic-arts-boss-andrew-wilson-is-one-of-australias-top-global-ceos-20160104-glym9s |access-date=March 21, 2024 |work=Australian Financial Review |date=January 9, 2016}} In his youth he played rugby and basketball at school, coached Taekwondo, and played golf, surfed, swam, and ran.
He attended Queensland University of Technology, but dropped out before obtaining his law degree.
Career
=Early career=
=Electronic Arts=
After the dot-com bubble burst in late 1999, in May 2000 Wilson joined Electronic Arts' small video-game development studio on Australia's Gold Coast, which created V8 supercar, rugby, cricket, and surfing video games but needed someone with real experience in how the sports were actually played. That studio closed in 2002 due to lack of scale. Wilson then worked in the company's Asian and European markets for several years before moving to EA Sports and then becoming an executive producer on the FIFA franchise.{{cite web|last=Fleming|first=Ryan|title=Meet Andrew Wilson, the 39-year-old who just became EA's CEO|date=17 September 2013|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/ea-picks-ea-sports-vp-as-new-ceo/|publisher=Digital Trends|access-date=18 September 2013}} In August 2011 he was appointed executive vice president of EA Sports, and he also took on duties as executive vice president of the company's Origin platform in April 2013.{{Cite web|url=http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-wilson/3/7a1/154|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130918160019/http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-wilson/3/7a1/154|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-09-18|title=Andrew Wilson | LinkedIn}}{{cite web|last=Sinclair|first=Brendan|title=EA confirms more layoffs|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-25-ea-confirms-more-layoffs|publisher=GamesIndustry International|access-date=18 September 2013}}
Six months after the resignation of John Riccitiello, Wilson was chosen to be the new CEO of the company on September 17, 2013.{{cite web|last=Statt|first=Nick|title=EA names EA Sports chief Andrew Wilson as CEO|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57603356-93/ea-names-ea-sports-chief-andrew-wilson-as-ceo/|publisher=CNET News|access-date=18 September 2013}}
In his first year as CEO, Wilson initiated a "player-first" corporate strategy, and offered more free-to-play games and in-app purchase options. In a move towards a transformation from physical software to digital, he also greatly increased EA's digital offerings, and launched EA Access, a subscription-based digital service for Xbox One players that allows unlimited play across a selection of EA titles. Electronic Arts had a large revenue increase and its stock price doubled in 2014.
In 2021, Wilson became chairman of the board of EA, following the retirement of Larry Probst.{{cite web |last1=Makuch |first1=Eddie |title=One Of EA's Most Influential And Important Veterans Is Stepping Down |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/one-of-eas-most-influential-and-important-veterans-is-stepping-down/1100-6491991/ |website=GameSpot |access-date=March 22, 2024 |date=May 26, 2021}}
In 2023, he restructured the company into two organizations – EA Sports and EA Entertainment (formerly EA Games).{{cite news |last1=Huston |first1=Caitlin |title=Electronic Arts Shake-Up: New CFO and Studio Reorganization |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/electronic-arts-cfo-studio-reorganization-1235519988/ |access-date=March 24, 2024 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=June 20, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Leston |first1=Ryan |title=EA Games splits from EA Sports as part of rebrand |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/ea-games-splits-from-ea-sports-as-part-of-rebrand-3458931 |website=NME |access-date=March 24, 2024 |date=June 21, 2023}}
Personal life
Wilson is married, and has one daughter and one son.{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/print-edition/2012/12/07/40u40-andrew-wilson.html|title=40u40: Andrew Wilson|website=Bizjournals.com|access-date=2016-11-15}} He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.{{Cite web|title=What Jiu-Jitsu taught EA CEO Andrew Wilson running a company|date=2024-09-25|website=Fastcompany.com|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91196703/what-jiu-jitsu-taught-ea-ceo-andrew-wilson|access-date=2024-09-27}}{{Cite web|title=Meet the Man Who Led EA's FIFA to the Top of the Video Game World|url=https://fortune.com/2016/09/26/fifa-andrew-wilson-ea-fortune-unfiltered/|access-date=2021-07-20|website=Fortune|language=en}}
Wilson and his family live in Atherton, California.{{Cite news |last=Griffith |first=Erin |date=2022-08-12 |title=The Summer of NIMBY in Silicon Valley’s Poshest Town |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/technology/nimby-housing-silicon-valley-atherton.html |access-date=2022-08-13 |issn=0362-4331}} In 2022, along with several other Silicon Valley executives, he opposed a proposal to allow more than one home on a single acre in Atherton, which is one of Silicon Valley’s most exclusive and wealthiest towns.
Awards and accolades
- 2010 — Winner, BAFTA, Games/Sports — FIFA 2010{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2010/games/sports |title=2010 Games Sports | BAFTA Awards |website=Awards.bafta.org |access-date=2016-11-15}}
- 2010 — Winner, BAFTA, Games/Use of Online — FIFA 2010{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search?keywords=andrew+wilson |title=BAFTA Awards Search | BAFTA Awards |website=Awards.bafta.org |access-date=2016-11-15}}
- 2014 — #5 on BBC.com's list of best CEOs of 2014{{cite web|last=Finkelstein |first=Sydney |url=http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20150114-the-best-ceos-of-2014 |title=Capital - The best CEOs of 2014 |publisher=BBC |date=2015-01-15 |access-date=2016-11-15}}
- 2014 — #6 on Forbes{{'}} list of America's Most Powerful CEOs 40 and Under{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjle45eeeg/no-6-andrew-wilson-2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317222529/http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjle45eeeg/no-6-andrew-wilson-2/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 March 2014 |title=No. 6 Andrew Wilson - pg.6 |website=Forbes.com |access-date=2016-11-15}}
- Winner — Motley Fool's The Best Tech CEOs of 2014{{cite web|url=http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/12/15/the-best-tech-ceos-of-2014.aspx |title=The Best Tech CEOs of 2014 - The Motley Fool |website=Fool.com |date=2014-12-15 |access-date=2016-11-15}}
- 2015 — #3 on Fortune magazine's Business Person of the Year list{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/businessperson-of-the-year/andrew-wilson-3/ |title=Businessperson of the Year |website=Fortune.com |date=2016-11-10 |access-date=2016-11-15}}
- 2015 — #3 on Forbes{{'}} list of America's Most Powerful CEOs 40 and Under{{Cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjle45lfkf/no-3-andrew-wilson/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150329025341/http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjle45lfkf/no-3-andrew-wilson/|archive-date = 29 March 2015|title = America's Most Powerful CEOs 40 and Under}}
- 2015 — #58 on Adweek{{'}}s Power List: The 100 Most Influential Leaders in Marketing and Tech{{cite web|last=Gianatasio |first=David |url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/most-important-people-your-world-164943?page=3 |title=Adweek's Power List: The 100 Most Influential Leaders in Marketing, Media and Tech |website=Adweek.com |access-date=2016-11-15}}
- 2017 — Variety 500{{cite web |title=Andrew Wilson |url=https://variety.com/exec/andrew-wilson/ |website=Variety |access-date=25 March 2024}}
- 2019 — Forbes Innovative Leaders{{cite web |title=Andrew Wilson |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/andrew-wilson/?list=innovative-leaders/ |website=Forbes |access-date=25 March 2024}}
- 2022 — Variety 500
- 2023 — Variety 500
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Electronic Arts}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Andrew}}
Category:21st-century Australian businesspeople
Category:Australian chairpersons of corporations
Category:Australian chief executives
Category:Australian entertainment industry businesspeople
Category:Australian expatriates in the United States
Category:Businesspeople from Victoria (state)
Category:Chief executives in the technology industry