Sony Computer Entertainment America has appointed former Livescribe executive Timothy Bender as senior vice president of sales.

Reporting directly to SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton, Bender will be charged with overseeing sales and merchandising initiatives across all PlayStation platforms in the US.

His appointment comes as Sony prepares to release new iterations of its home and portable gaming systems in the form of the PS3 Slim and PSP Go, and the company is gearing up for what Tretton referred to as one its “most aggressive” Christmas seasons.

"Tim brings a proven ability in growing strong consumer brands and building deep relationships with his team and the retail community," said Tretton. "As we approach one of our most aggressive holiday seasons and a truly exciting future for all our product platforms, we are confident that Tim's great leadership skills and contributions will help drive continued sales and market momentum for the PlayStation brand."