Take-Two appoints COO as president

Effective May 1, Take-Two Interactive chief operating officer Karl Slatoff was appointed to the Grand Theft Auto publisher's newly created role of president. The news was revealed in an SEC document filed Tuesday and spotted by Joystiq.

Slatoff has been COO at Take-Two since October 2010. It is not clear what his duties will be in his new position or if the COO post is now vacant. A Take-Two representative commented on the changes in a statement provided to GameSpot.

"Karl’s appointment to President of Take-Two was both a natural progression and more accurate reflection of his role and contributions to our organization," the company said. "While his title has changed, his day-to-day responsibilities and reporting structure will remain the same. We're confident that he will continue to play an integral role in our ongoing success."

Slatoff is a Take-Two and media industry veteran. Prior to his appointment to COO in 2010, he had served as an executive vice president at the company since February 2008. He is a partner at ZelnickMedia, a firm founded by Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick that manages and owns interests in an array of companies, including Take-Two Interactive.

Prior to joining Take-Two, Slatoff served as vice president of new media at music outfit BMG Entertainment, whose labels feature artists like the Dave Matthews Band, Carlos Santana, and Whitney Houston. Before his run at BMG, Slatoff worked in strategic planning at the Walt Disney Company, where his focus was on consumer products, among other initiatives.

Slatoff received his M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and has bachelor of arts degrees in English literature and economics from Kenyon College.