GameStop announced this week that Chris Petrovic has joined the company as General Manager, Digital Media, a newly created position within the company.

As a member of the company’s senior management team, Petrovic will serve as the principal leader of GameStop’s digital strategy. He will be responsible for building on the company’s ongoing efforts to integrate digital media into the company’s multi-channel strategy, as well as overseeing the development and execution of a digital acquisition strategy. This includes leveraging the company’s unique and distinctive relationship with customers in-store, online and around the globe to drive driving digital sales through more than 6,200 domestic and international stores and on its Web sites: gamestop.com and gameinformer.com.

“As the digital world of gaming and entertainment evolves, GameStop is well positioned to do what it does best – help create markets. This includes identifying and effectively participating in emerging trends in casual, browser and mobile gaming,” indicated Daniel DeMatteo, Chief Executive Officer, GameStop. “While we are currently one of the leaders in the online PC game retail space through our recently relaunched GameStop Casual Digital Store, we are also committed to supporting our unique and vast footprint of brick and mortar stores and knowledgeable associates with a smart digital business platform.”

Petrovic has more than 10-years senior management experience in digital business operations at public companies, venture capital firms and start-ups. He most recently served as Vice President of Digital Media at Playboy Enterprises (NYSE: PLA), where he helped develop and execute the company’s global online and mobile initiatives. This included overseeing games strategy across digital platforms, specifically online and mobile, through partnerships with companies such as THQ wireless and Jolt Online. He also worked on the development, implementation and integration of digital initiatives across non-digital business units including TV, publishing, radio and retail entertainment.

Previously Petrovic served as Vice President of Business Development for AG Interactive, where he was responsible for strategic business and product development for the interactive division of American Greetings. He was also Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Business Development for theglobe.com, and worked with a venture capital firm, Prime Ventures, during which time he held a number of senior level positions with portfolio companies such as drkoop.com, Buzztone.com and BannerGreetings.com.

Petrovic and a core team of digital media specialists will be based out of a corporate GameStop office in Southern California.