Representatives from Australian developer Tantalus have announced three new management appointments, as part of the company’s ongoing expansion plans. Veteran UK industry figure Joss Ellis will take the role of director of development, following prominent roles as director of European development at Electronic Arts, vice president of international development at Virgin Interactive and chief operating officer at Argonaut. Ellis will report to David Giles, who has been promoted within Tantalus to the position of CEO. Giles will oversee the company’s continued expansion, including the establishment of a new studio – which is likely to take place this year. Joining the company at the same time is Mat Bettinson, who will take the role of business development manager. Bettinson previously worked in game journalism, marketing and public relations in the UK – most recently as UK county manager for Alienware. Based in Melbourne, Tantalus have recently specialized in portable titles, with The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon due for release later this year and a number of unannounced titles due for Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP and PC. “These new hires signify our commitment to building the right base upon which to grow our business. We’re pretty ambitious, and recognize that we need strong upper management to achieve our growth objectives,” said current CEO Tom Crago. “Joss is obviously a terrific hire for us, while David’s promotion is well deserved. Mat’s role too is crucial, and will ensure we’re completely across our market, and able to capitalize on the opportunities that fit best with our strategy. It’s almost scary to say it but we now have a combined 90 years of video game industry experience among our upper management!” he added.