Snocap Grabs Electronic Arts HR Chief

Author: by Nich Maragos, Simon Carless

Snocap, the new digital media copyright management company founded by Napster founder Shawn Fanning, has hired senior EA executive Rusty Rueff as its CEO, luring him away from his position at video gaming's top third-party publisher. Rueff was previously executive vice president of human resources at game publisher Electronic Arts, dealing with over 6500 global employees; prior to that, he worked for PepsiCo for ten years in various capacities. At the start of his career, he spent six years in commercial radio as an on-air personality. At Electronic Arts, Rueff was one of the main points of contact regarding the often controversial 'quality of life' issue, commenting of game industry unionization to Game Developer magazine: "There will always be people who want to step in and take a piece of the pie or get in the middle of things without contributing to the growth of the business. I personally don't believe that our people are the type who actually want to have a third party representing them and determining their wages, hours, or working conditions." One of the most notable EA-related lawsuits regarding overtime was recently settled, making it possible for Rueff to transition at a slightly less tumultuous time. "As CEO, Rusty will continue to lead us on the path to achieving our company vision," said Snocap founder Shawn Fanning. "Rusty's track record speaks for itself; not only has he demonstrated leadership by directing companies through significant growth but he has the desire, passion, and commitment that is a 'must' for Snocap."