Zeemote has announced that it has a new president and CEO, former Virgin Media exec Ernie Cormier.

Cormier's appointment means Zeemote co-founder Beth Marcus will step back to focus on strategy and product development.

The new boss was formerly chief commercial officer and managing director of group strategy and corporate development with Virgin Media (where, presumably, he had problems fitting his business cards into his pockets).

"The market and consumer response to Zeemote in 2008 is an exciting validation of the team’s commitment to deliver the world’s best mobile gaming experience," he says. "This is a critical time for the company and I’m honoured to be working with such a talented and passionate team."

Zeemote has also hired Karen Cambray as its new CFO and VP of operations. She previously worked at Groove Mobile and Be Free. Meanwhile, Glenn Kiladis from Digit Wireless joins as VP of global marketing.

The new hires indicate that Zeemote is planning a big push in 2009 for its Zeemote JS1 Bluetooth controller, having signed several deals with operators and handset makers in 2008.

It'll be interesting to see if Zeemote follows the JS1 with a newer device this year, or whether it sticks with the existing controller for a while longer.