Sony Computer Entertainment America said Monday that it appointed Timothy Bender as SVP of sales, where he'll lead the PlayStation brand's North America sales and merchandising initiatives. Bender comes from outside the traditional video gaming industry, having previously worked as EVP at Livescribe, creators of the pen-and-paper-to-computer SmartPen technology. Prior to that, he worked at educational company LeapFrog Enterprises as president of its Global Consumer Group. Bender will now report directly to SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton, who said in a statement: "Tim brings a proven ability in growing strong consumer brands and building deep relationships with his team and the retail community." Tretton continued, "As we approach one of our most aggressive holiday seasons and a truly exciting future for all our product platforms, we are confident that Tim's great leadership skills and contributions will help drive continued sales and market momentum for the PlayStation brand." Sony is gearing up for a holiday that will see the release of major first-party video games and the recently-announced $299 revamped "slim" PlayStation.