Nintendo has just announced that Haitian-American Reginald “Reggie” Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo of America, will be retiring. After more than 15 notable years at Nintendo of America, and nearly 13 as its President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime last day at the company will be taking place on April 15.
Doug Bowser will be taking over Reggie’s role and will become the new president for Nintendo of America. Bowser is currently working as senior VP of sales and marketing.
Excerpts from Nintendo’s press release:
“I really appreciate everything Reggie has done for Nintendo,” said Shuntaro Furukawa, President of Nintendo Co., Ltd. “Inside and outside our company, Reggie is known as an exceptional leader. We are grateful that he is leaving the business in good shape with strong momentum. While we will miss him and we wish him the very best in his retirement, we are also pleased to have such an able successor ready to step into that role. Doug Bowser and the rest of the team will ensure a seamless transition and continued momentum for Nintendo.”
“Nintendo owns a part of my heart forever,” Fils-Aime said. “It’s a part that is filled with gratitude – for the incredibly talented people I’ve worked with, for the opportunity to represent such a wonderful brand, and most of all, to feel like a member of the world’s most positive and enduring gamer community. As I look forward to departing in both good health and good humor, this is not ‘game over’ for me, but instead ‘leveling up’ to more time with my wife, family, and friends.”
Fils-Aime started at Nintendo of America in 2003 as its Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing and became its President and COO in May 2006. His time with Nintendo began during the Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance era. His leadership of Nintendo’s largest territory expanded the audience for Nintendo products as phenomena like Nintendogs, Brain Age, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit brought millions of new players to the world of video games. Fils-Aime’s management led to record-breaking sales for products like the Nintendo DS, Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch systems. At the same time, he communicated innovative new product features to a mass audience via his strong and affable personality, making him a favorite of media, members of the video game industry and Nintendo fans alike.
Fils-Aimé was born in New York City to Haitian immigrants in March 1961. His mother worked in retail and his father became a machinist. After graduating from Brentwood High school, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics from Cornell University in 1983. He pursued a marketing and sales career after being selected by Procter & Gamble as an undergraduate candidate to go into its brand management program.
He ended up working for a diverse lineup of companies, including Pizza Hut, MTV, and VH1 Networks. That experience helped him understand the consumer group that proved to be critical in his work at Nintendo. Fils-Aimé joined Nintendo in 2003 as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, where he was responsible for all sales and marketing campaigns in North and Latin America. Three years later, he ascended to President and Chief Operating Officer.
