Linden Lab names marketing executive as new CEO

By Adam Pasick

NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - The company that created Web-based virtual world Second Life said on Tuesday it selected online marketing executive Mark Kingdon as its new chief executive, replacing founder Philip Rosedale.

Linden Lab, the privately held company that created the popular virtual world, is looking for a new direction after the initial hype about Second Life produced a backlash among users and companies who were frustrated by its steep learning curve and lack of stability.

Kingdon is CEO of digital marketing agency Organic Inc, part of advertising giant Omnicom Group Inc (OMC.N), and a former senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. As of May 15, he will take control of day-to-day management and operations from Rosedale, who will become chairman and work on product development and strategy.

Rosedale said Kingdon's history of overseeing complex projects paired with overall management expertise made him the most attractive candidate despite the lack of an explicit technology background.

"I would call myself a very balanced general manager," Kingdon said in a joint phone interview with Rosedale. "While I don't come from a technology background I've been working with technology for my entire career."

Kingdon wrote a widely read column in August 2006 touting Second Life as an attractive opportunity for marketers. In the months after his piece was published, numerous blue-chip real-world companies entered Second Life. However, a subsequent backlash led many of them to pull back. He said that bringing back big brands was not a priority.

"Maybe it was the right place but definitely the wrong time for most big brands," Kingdon said. (Editing by Braden Reddall)