Following numerous rumors that a change was imminent, officials from Activision have confirmed that former Electronic Arts executive Joerg Trouvain is to be the company’s new senior vice president of European publishing, where he will oversee all of the company’s European strategy and growth initiatives. Trouvain will take over from Tricia Bertero, who returns to the U.S. at the close of her two year contract at Activision Europe. Although it appears that European sales for Activision have not surged as swiftly as other territories, there has been no suggestion that the company has been overly displeased with Bertero’s work over the last two years. Based in the UK, Trouvain will report to Brain Hodous, CCO of Activision Publishing. Before joining Activision Trouvain was senior vice president of sales and marketing at GN Netcom and was managing director and vice president of Germany, Austria and Switzerland for Electronic Arts. He has also held sales positions with BASF and Bertelsmann's media divisions, focusing on entertainment and music. "We are delighted to welcome a seasoned industry professional of Joerg's caliber to Activision," said Hodous. "His extensive experience in driving the growth of organizations will be a tremendous asset as we take advantage of the market opportunities afforded by the new console platforms, and Activision's exceptional FY08 slate, to continue building our leadership position in Europe." Hodous also paid tribute to Tricia Bertero's tenure, saying "Tricia has been instrumental in setting a strong foundation to accelerate the growth of our European business. She leaves us in a powerful position to drive the business from her groundwork and we thank her for the many contributions she made throughout her tenure."