One of the larger mobile publishers in the world is getting a new boss.
Electronic Arts boss Andrew Wilson appointed Samantha Ryan as the new head of EA Mobile earlier today, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. She will oversee all EA projects destined for iOS and Android, which includes games like Plants vs. Zombies 2, Madden Mobile, and more. The publisher is already one of the top 10 highest-earning companies in the mobile space, but it is still behind upstarts like Supercell and King when it comes to taking the biggest chunks of the $30 billion smartphone and tablet gaming market.
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":1763405,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,","session":"B"}']In a statement provided to GamesBeat by EA, Ryan said that she see that the power of mobile as a way to change “how we make and play games” as well as expanding the reach of developers to “new types of players.”
Ryan has held a leadership role at EA since March. She came in to provide strategic leadership to the PopCap, Firemonkeys, and WayStone studios, where she had input on franchises like Plants vs. Zombies, Bejeweled, Real Racing, and The Sims.
Prior to her time with EA, Ryan worked as the senior vice president of production and development at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. In that role, she managed WB’s top gaming studios, which includes Rocksteady, WB Games Montreal, and NetherRealm. Those developers are responsible for Batman: Arkham Knight, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Mortal Kombat X, respectively. She was instrumental to helping WB position itself as one of the top publishers in 2014, which led directly into its strong performance in 2015.