John Riccitiello

Riccitiello received a B.S. in business administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is a campus of the University of California system; the University of California was founded in 1868 through a merger of two institutions and moved to Berkeley, California, in 1873.Open the full entry.⁠[1]

From October 1997 to April 2004 Riccitiello was president and chief operating officer of Electronic Arts, a public video game developer and publisher.⁠[1]

In May 2004 Riccitiello co-founded Elevation Partners, a private equity firm focused on media and entertainment, and served as a managing director until March 2007. From November 2005 he was also CEO and chairman of VG Holdings Corp., a video game company formed from Pandemic Studios and BioWare. As of early 2007 he also sat on the boards of Hyperion Solutions Corporation and Forbes Media LLCForbesForbes is an American business media brand that began with Forbes magazine, founded by B.C. Forbes in 1917. It is known for rankings such as the Forbes 400, the World’s Billionaires list and 30 Under 30, and operates Forbes.com, ForbesLive events and licensed editions in 81 countries. Since 2014 a majority stake has been held by the Hong Kong investment group Integrated Whale Media; a 2021 plan to list on the New York Stock Exchange through a special purpose acquisition company was terminated in 2022. It is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.Open the full entry.⁠[2][1]

On February 26, 2007, Electronic Arts announced the appointment of Riccitiello, 47, as chief executive officer effective April 2, 2007, succeeding Lawrence F. Probst III, who remained executive chairman; Riccitiello also joined the board, with an annual base salary of $750,000. EA had co-publishing agreements with VG Holdings with an expected aggregate value of about $71 million, in which Riccitiello held an indirect financial interest.⁠[2]

On March 18, 2013, Electronic Arts announced that Riccitiello would step down as CEO and from the board effective at the close of business on March 30, 2013; Larry Probst became executive chairman while the board searched for a permanent CEO. Riccitiello said that after six years “it is the right time for me pass the baton,” adding, “I am proud of what we have accomplished together.” Under his separation agreement he received 24 months of salary continuation.⁠[3][4]

Riccitiello joined the board of game engine company Unity Technologies in November 2013, became executive chairman in June 2014 and president and CEO in October 2014. On August 24, 2020, Unity filed its IPO registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in which he wrote: “We believe the world is a better place with more creators in it.” As of June 30, 2020, he beneficially owned about 3.4% of Unity’s shares.⁠[1]

On March 16, 2020, a16zAndreessen HorowitzAndreessen Horowitz (a16z) is a venture capital firm founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. It invests from the seed stage through the growth stage and provides operational support to its portfolio companies.Open the full entry published “How Gaming is Changing the Media Landscape” on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry, a conversation between Riccitiello and Andreessen Horowitz general partner Andrew Chen at the a16z Summit; the Andreessen Horowitz website posted the episode page on April 9, 2020. They discussed the forces driving gaming’s growth, including platform convergence, livestreaming, cross-platform play, the shift from physical media to digital and interactive formats, the direct-to-consumer opportunity, the difficulty of building a “NetflixNetflixNetflix is a U.S. entertainment company that offers streaming series, films, games, and live programming, headquartered in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997, it grew from online DVD rental into an international subscription entertainment service and also runs original content, advertising, and in-person experience businesses.Open the full entry of gaming” and cloud gaming, as well as Unity’s expansion into film, automotive and architecture.⁠[5][6]

On October 9, 2023, Unity announced that Riccitiello would step down immediately as president, CEO, chairman and director, remaining an employee to assist with the transition until his retirement on April 9, 2024; James M. Whitehurst became interim CEO and president, and lead independent director Roelof Botha became chairman. Riccitiello said: “It’s been a privilege to lead Unity for nearly a decade.” Botha credited him with moving Unity to a subscription model and leading its IPO.⁠[7][8]