By Ed Nightingale
Copyright eurogamer
Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser is set to retire at the end of the year, and will be succeeded by the company’s first female president.
Bowser followed Reggie Fils-Aimé as president in 2019, and has spent over a decade in multiple leadership positions. His time as president has covered the majority of the Switch’s life, and the recent launch of Switch 2, and will end on 31st December 2025.
Devon Pritchard will take over as president, following 19 years in the industry. She is already a long-standing member of the NOA leadership team, currently serving as executive vice president of revenue.
In addition to this change, Satoru Shibata will join NOA as chief executive officer. Shibata was previously president of Nintendo of Europe from 2000 – 2018, and was most recently general manager of the marketing division at NOA. He’s also outside director of The Pokémon Company.
“One of my earliest video game experiences was playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong,” said Bowser. “Since that time, all things Nintendo have continued to be a passion for both me and my family. Leading Nintendo of America has been the honour of a lifetime, and I am proud of what our team has accomplished in both business results and the experiences we’ve created for consumers.
“Now, it’s time for the next generation of leadership and Devon’s track record speaks for itself,” he continued. “She is an exceptional leader, and her promotion is a testament to her strong performance and strategic contributions to the company’s growth. I have full confidence that she will guide the company to even greater heights.”
Pritchard said she is “humbled and excited to take on this new role”. “Doug has been a fantastic mentor,” she continued, “and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation he has helped establish. With characters and worlds that offer something for everyone, my focus will be continuing to build on Nintendo’s legacy of surprising and delighting our longtime fans, while at the same time welcoming new players into the Nintendo family.”
Nintendo’s Japanese president Shuntaro Furukawa added: “During his tenure, Doug made numerous contributions to bring smiles to the faces of people connected to Nintendo. I would like to express my gratitude for his strong efforts. Devon, who will become the next president, has also made many contributions to Nintendo over the years. I am confident that, like Doug, Devon will continue to support Nintendo’s important mission of creating smiles.”
