There aren’t that many surprises in the games industry any more but EA certainly caught people off guard with their choice of a new CEO. Andrew Wilson, the current Executive Vice President of EA Sports and EA’s Origin digital distribution client and store, has been named Electronic Arts’ new Chief Executive Officer.

Wilson has been at EA since 2000. He started work for EA in Australia before moves to Europe and North America. His work as a producer on the FIFA franchise is credited with turning FIFA from the second-best soccer game behind Pro Evolution Soccer to one of the best-selling games in the world and EA’s biggest franchise.

While Wilson’s appointment as CEO might have been a surprise to some, Wilson’s growing portfolio of responsibilities at EA made him the logical choice to take over as the head honcho. With EA’s emphasis on growing their digital offerings, especially through Origin, moving Origin’s boss up in the corporate ladder indicates commitment to that area of the business. His work as the boss of Asia Online Publishing and the EA South Korea studio gives him experience in emerging markets which would be an asset considering that we’ve recently heard about EA’s regional pricing strategies in the BRIC countries.

As for his and EA’s plans going forward, in a statement, Wilson said:

Looking ahead, my focus will be on three things:

1. Continued transformation for our digital future;
2. Delivering amazing games and services across platforms; and
3. Instilling a culture of execution that will drive profitable growth.

While this may have been a surprising choice for the next CEO, it does make sense on the surface. Wilson’s history at EA indicates that he knows almost every aspect the business which gives him the ability to lead knowledgeably from the top. Given that he was able to grow FIFA into a top franchise shows that he knows a thing or two about video games rather than just running a business. As long as his experience helps him actually run EA, the publisher is in good hands.