Shuntaro Furukawa has been announced as the new Nintendo president and representative director, coinciding with the news that the outgoing president Tatsumi Kimishima will retire in June.
The management changes were shared at a press conference in Osaka, where, Bloomberg reports, that Furukawa has promised to bring out the company’s full potential and that he will balance its traditions.
“We will develop the company to its fullest,” Furukawa assured. “I will balance Nintendo’s traditions: originality and flexibility.”
Shuntaro Furukawa, who grew up playing with the Famicom, had seized his chance to work for Nintendo in 1994. His role was in global marketing and he had served on The Pokémon Company’s board and has spent much of his career working in the company’s accounting office.
In 2015 he rose to head Nintendo’s corporate planning division and has contributed to both software development and creating Nintendo Switch.
When asked about what his approach to management will be, Furukawa responded: “I grew up playing the Famicom and come from that generation.
“Now as a member of management with Super Mario’s creator Shigeru Miyamoto, I have a lot of respect for him. On the other hand, with this new job that can’t just be it, so I expect to say what needs to be said to run the company.”
