Pincus departs as Zynga CEO again, Gibeau named as replacement

Zynga has announced that its founder Mark Pincus will once again step down as chief executive of the social gaming company, with board member Frank Gibeau confirmed as his replacement.

Pincus’ first spell as chief executive ran until July 2013 when Don Mattrick took over the role, with Pincus staying on as chairman and chief product officer.

However, in April of last year, Zynga confirmed that Pincus was to return to the role after the company failed to gain ground in the social gaming market.

Just 11 months into his second spell as chief executive, Zynga has confirmed that Pincus will step aside to make way for Gibeau, who will step into the role from March 7.

Pincus will serve as executive chairman of the board and work with Gibeau and the Zynga product teams on a daily basis.

“Frank has a history of developing strong teams and shipping market-leading games,” Pincus said in an email to Zynga employees.

“He is a seasoned leader with the experience to quickly navigate the kinds of challenges we face on a weekly basis.

“He has a proven 25-year track record having helped architect the successful turnaround of Electronic Arts as the president of EA Labels and more recently navigating the company’s platform transition efforts as executive vice-president of EA Mobile.

“In our industry he’s known for driving operational excellence and leading winning teams on both the publishing and studio side of the gaming business.”

Gibeau added: “I’m excited to get started and expect a seamless transition given the progress we’ve made together over the past seven months.

“That time was invaluable for me to begin to understand Zynga’s people, products and players.

“I’m encouraged by our early momentum and I look forward to partnering with our teams to build on the progress we’re seeing across the company.”

Related article: Mattrick to step down as CEO of Zynga, founder Pincus to return