Larry Probst | |
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.jpeg) Probst in Sochi, February 2014 | |
| Born | Lawrence Francis Probst III (1950-06-03)June 3, 1950 (age 74) |
| Education | Business administration |
| Alma mater | University of Delaware |
| Occupation(s) | Chairman, Electronic Arts Chairman,United States Olympic Committee |
| Known for | Extensive work with and employment withElectronic Arts |
| Board member of | Electronic Arts |
| Spouse | Nancy Probst |
| Children | 2 |
Lawrence Francis Probst III[1] (born June 3, 1950) is an American businessman who is best known for his work with the video game publisherElectronic Arts, including acting as CEO from 1991 until 2007 and as executive chairman from 2013–14.[2][3] He remains chairman of EA and served as chairman of theUnited States Olympic Committee until 2019.
Probst was born on July 3, 1950. He is the son of Ruth (née Gallagher) and Lawrence Francis Probst II.[4] He and his wife Nancy have two sons. He earned a bachelor's degree from theUniversity of Delaware.[5][6]
Probst worked forJohnson & Johnson andClorox before being recruited into thevideo game industry throughActivision in 1982. Two years later he joined EA as vice president for sales until 1986. He then took on the role of the company's senior vice president of the publishing division from 1986–90. He was promoted to president ofElectronic Arts in 1990, remaining in that position until 1997. During this time, he was also pronounced CEO ofElectronic Arts in 1991, which he held onto until April 2007.Next Generation named his one of the "75 Most Important People in the Games Industry of 1995", remarking that "Probst may not be as colorful a character as his predecessor [Trip Hawkins], but he does seem adept at combining the freedom and daring of creativity with the restraints and common sense of a commercial operation."[7]
Whenpresident andchief operating officer John Riccitiello resigned in April 2004, Probst became his successor. Riccitiello was re-hired as CEO in 2007, he retained his non-operational duties as chairman. He then worked as executive chairman of Electronic Arts Inc. from March 18, 2013, to January 1, 2015, and formerchief executive officer of the company.[citation needed]
According to EA's 2005 Annual Report, Probst is the biggest individual shareholder in EA, owning 739,761 shares and the right to acquire a further 3.1 million, which combined accounts for 1.2 percent of the company. Probst sits on the boards of two cancer research groups: the V Foundation[8] and ABC2.[9]
In addition to his work atElectronic Arts, Probst also served as the chairman of Digital Entertainment Corporation of America.[10]
In 2008, he was made theU.S. Olympic Committee[11] chairman of the board. Five years after his appointment as chairman of the USOC, Probst was elected as anIOC member at the125th IOC Session inBuenos Aires in September 2013.[12] Probst worked with many other IOC groups as well. Probst has served on the IOC International Relations and the IOC Radio and Television Commissions. He assumed the position of chair of the IOC Press Commission in 2014.[13] At the end of 2018 Probst retired from his IOC and USOC positions.[14]
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