Nintendo announces new President

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Two months after the untimely passing of former president Satoru Iwata, Nintendo announced their new President, Tatsumi Kimishima.

A statement released after a Board of Director’s  meeting yesterday said, “We aim to strengthen and enhance the management structure of the Company following President (Representative Director) Satoru Iwata’s passing on July 11, 2015 and a large-scale revision of the organizational structure of the Company on September 16, 2015.”

Kimishima, 65, spent the first 27 years of his career working for Sanwa Bank of Japan. In 2000, he became Chief Financial Officer of The Pokemon Company, and then moved to being the President of Pokémon USA Inc.  In 2002, he was promoted from Nintendo’s Pokemon division to President of Nintendo of America until Reggie Fils-Aime took over that position in 2006. At that time, Kimishima became Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Nintendo of America, and has been quietly helming that position until today.

The Board of Directors also announced new titles for Genyo Takeda and Shigeru Miyamoto. Takeda will have the title “Technology Fellow”, and Miyamoto will have the “Creative Fellow” title. These announcements would seem to indicate the Board of Directors understand and recognize Takeda’s experience with hardware and Miyamoto’s brilliant software design, and will leave them in charge of those areas while the seasoned executive, Kimishima, will look after business affairs.

It is unlikely that Tatsumi Kimishima will be nearly as public of a President as Iwata was, but hopefully his many years of experience will shepherd Nintendo through this difficult transition time, as their hardware sales are slumping.

All corporate changes become official September 16.

 

Tim Bledsoe

Podcasts & Single-player games are his thing except on "Adventure Time Tuesdays"