In what could be construed as a harbinger of an IPO, casual gaming giant Zynga has reportedly tapped up the COO of Electronic Arts John Schappert to head up its game division.

A regulatory filing released by EA indicated that Schappert had resigned from his role at the Redwood City, California-based company on Monday.

Taking it to next level

Once formally installed at the home of FarmVille and CityVille, Schappert will join a number of former EA employees, including ex-game studio executive Steve Chiang and ex-game designer Mark Skaggs.

Zynga has been busy strengthening its position in the social gaming sphere of late, purchasing 11 studios in as many months, yet this particular acquisition – albeit of a personnel variety – could prove the most pivotal for the Mafia Wars creator.

According to Wedbush Securities gaming research analyst Michael Pachter, "if Zynga is serious about going public, they need someone who knows how to do it. They just grabbed a guy to give them what they were missing - public management experience."

During his 22-month tenure at EA, Schappert oversaw not only the firm’s attempts to drive significant revenue in the digital and mobile space, but also its pursuit of a major social gaming presence on Facebook.

Something Zynga knows ALL about.

[source: Reuters]