Doug Bowser, the Nintendo of America President and Chief Operating Officer, has announced that he will retire at the end of the year.
Bowser joined Nintendo of America in 2015 as the vice president of sales and marketing, overseeing the wildly successful launch of the Switch in North America, and eventually succeeded Reggie Fils-Aimé as president in 2019.
As well as overseeing the launch of the Switch 2, which became the fastest-selling console in the history of the US, Bowser pushed Nintendo’s brand into other spheres, including theme parks and movies, including the Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Doug Bowser’s Successor as Nintendo of America President Named
Bowser will be succeeded by Devon Pritchard, who has been the executive vice president of Revenue, Marketing and Consumer Experience of Nintendo of America since 2022 and will be the first woman to take the role of president. In a further shake-up, Satoru Shibata will become the CEO of Nintendo of America.
Announcing Bowser’s retirement, a statement from Nintendo said: “Bowser’s distinguished tenure includes delivering on the promise of the Nintendo Switch system to change the way people play video games and bring new experiences to a broad range of consumers.”
“Also, during his time with Nintendo, the company saw significant expansion into entertainment ventures such as theme parks and films, all with the goal of giving more people more opportunities to engage with Nintendo’s characters and worlds.”
Bowser Reflects on Time at Nintendo
Speaking on his time at the company, Bowser added: “One of my earliest video game experiences was playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong. 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 honor 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. 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.”
During his time at the company, much was made of the coincidence that Bowser shared a name with Nintendo’s most iconic antagonist, with the BBC referring to it as “one of the most charming cases of nominative determinism ever.” Doug, however, assured fans that “we’re two very, very different characters. I’m not tired of it at all though.”
