Nintendo of America president and chief operating officer Doug Bowser has announced his retirement, and will be stepping down and departing the company at the end of the year. Bowser’s successor, Devon Pritchard, is making history at NOA as the company’s first-ever female president.
In a press release, Nintendo of America announced Bowser’s retirement, which will occur on December 31, 2025. Starting in the new year, Nintendo’s office in the West will have new leadership under Pritchard, who will assume Bowser’s roles as president and COO. It was also announced that Satoru Shibata will join Nintendo of America as its chief executive officer while continuing in his roles as managing executive officer and corporate director of Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Doug Bowser Retiring From Nintendo Of America At The End Of This Year
Six-Year Tenure Comes To An End
Bowser succeeded the award-winning Reggie Fil-Aimé in 2019. Bowser’s tenure will have lasted just over six-and-a-half years by the time his retirement goes into effect on New Year’s Eve. He has been with the company since 2015, when he came on as the vice president of sales and marketing, quickly becoming the senior vice president the next year.
Despite sharing his last name with Mario’s arch-nemesis, Bowser has stewarded Nintendo of America through a very successful period. When he assumed the roles of president and COO in 2019, the Switch had been out for just over two years, and would go on to become one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time. He will now depart six months after the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, which set sales records upon its debut.
Devon Pritchard Becomes First Female President In NOA History
A Ground-Breaking Appointment
Devon Pritchard ascends to the roles of president and COO from her current office as executive vice president of revenue, marketing, and consumer experience. Pritchard has been with Nintendo of America for quite a bit longer than Bowser: almost 20 years. “I am humbled and excited to take on this new role,” Pritchard said, according to the press release; her quote continues:
“Doug has been a fantastic mentor, 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.”
Bowser had equal praise for Pritchard, saying, “It’s time for the next generation of leadership and Devon’s track record speaks for itself. She is an exceptional leader, and her promotion is a testament to her strong performance and strategic contributions to the company’s growth.” Nintendo at large is coming off of a Nintendo Direct on September 12, and eyes are turning toward its first-party holiday slate, including Kirby Air Riders in November and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in December. The release of such titles will be the final products shipped under Doug Bowser’s purview at Nintendo of America.
- Date Founded
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September 23, 1889
- Subsidiaries
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Nintendo EPD, Nintendo SPD, Nintendo EAD
- Consoles
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Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch Lite
- Services
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Nintendo Switch Online
- CEO
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Satoru Iwata
- Parent Company
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Nintendo
Nintendo is one of the world’s most successful and popular video game companies. It was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, who started the company by making Japanese playing cards. When Nintendo broke into the video game industry, it exploded in popularity. Nintendo has released several consoles over the years, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo 64, Gameboy, Wii, and the Nintendo Switch. The company has also created several iconic franchises like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Pokémon.