Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), today announced the hiring of three key executives for the company's European operation. Games industry veterans Ed Bainbridge, Sean Ratcliffe and Michael Jacob have been named Director of European Production, Director of European Marketing and Executive Producer, respectively.

"Attracting experienced high-caliber talent is the most critical element in building Buena Vista Games' operation in Europe," said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games. "Ed, Sean and Mike bring a wealth of games industry experience to the company, and will play a leading role in our continued growth."

Formerly Head of European Production at Eidos Interactive, Ed Bainbridge is tasked with creating and leading a new product development and production team for Buena Vista Games Europe that will be based in the company's London office and will report to Michael Ryder, Buena Vista Games' Vice President of Worldwide Production. While at Eidos, Bainbridge worked on the Hitman, Commandos and Championship Manager franchises. Bainbridge has also held key positions at Sega of Europe and at Activision.

"Buena Vista Games is ambitiously looking to expand its presence worldwide," said Bainbridge. "The appeal of Disney's brands and intellectual properties are proven, and there is a wealth of opportunity for Buena Vista Games in the European marketplace. From the current European production of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' to the company's ongoing commitment to the kids and family markets, BVG Europe is in a great position to provide entertainment to a broad target of new consumers and Disney fans."

Sean Ratcliffe will take on the role of Director of Marketing at BVG Europe, and will be responsible for creating world class marketing campaigns to support the company's upcoming, high profile product launches. He will report to BVG's Thierry Braille, Vice President and Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Ratcliffe was previously Global Brand Director at LEGO Interactive and spent eight years with Electronic Arts as the EA Sports Marketing Director for Europe. While at EA, Ratcliffe also held the position of Worldwide Franchise Director for the initial Harry Potter games launch.

"It's an incredibly exciting time to be joining BVG Europe," said Ratcliffe. "The company is the market leader in kids' games, has a strong presence in the handheld market, and over the next eighteen months will launch a number of new titles that will help grow the company's position in a variety of categories. In addition, we have some major movie properties that will help expand our reach even further."

Formerly Executive Producer for Vivendi Universal Games Publishing's Sierra Entertainment business unit, Michael Jacob brings over ten years of games development and production experience to his new Executive Producer position at BVG Europe. Reporting to Ed Bainbridge, Jacob is based in London and is leading the development of the multiplatform video games for "The Chronicles of Narnia" franchise. During his tenure at Vivendi Universal Games, Jacob managed game franchises including Tribesâ„¢ Vengeance (PC), F.E.A.R.â„¢ (PC), Metal Arms: Glitch in the Systemâ„¢ (Xbox, PS2, and GC) and PGA Championship Golfâ„¢ (PC) product line. Prior to Vivendi Universal, Jacob worked as a producer at the Northern California-based games company, Mindscape.