Ferrari, former VP of business development at Lord of the Rings Online developer Turbine, is now VP of publishing and business development for Sanrio Digital, where he will assemble a U.S. team and forge partnerships for Hello Kitty Online and "other initiatives in virtual worlds, gaming and social networks on PC, console and handheld platforms," according to a statement.
Earlier this month, Hello Kitty Online entered closed beta. According to Sanrio, the MMO targets "female players from their pre-teens to twenties."
Ferrari will operate out of Boston, Mass. He joined previous employer Turbine in 2004, prior to which he was VP of sales and business development at Philips Electronics and VP of business development at Websurfer.
The exec commented that the new position presents him the "opportunity to shape the future of social gaming."