The reign of Bowser at Nintendo of America is coming to a close. Nintendo announced on Thursday that Doug Bowser, the current president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America, will be stepping down from his position on December 31st. This concludes a six-year period marked by numerous playful references to his iconic namesake.
Taking over the helm will be Devon Pritchard, a seasoned veteran with 19 years of experience in the gaming world.
Currently, Pritchard holds the position of NOA’s executive vice president of revenue, marketing, and customer experience. She began her journey with Nintendo back in 2006.
“Some of my earliest experiences with video games were playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong,” Doug Bowser stated in an official press release from Nintendo. “From that point onward, my family and I have always had a passion for Nintendo. Leading Nintendo of America has been the greatest privilege of my life, and I am immensely proud of our team’s accomplishments, both in terms of business success and the remarkable experiences we’ve crafted for our customers.”
Bowser’s tenure at Nintendo began in 2015, following positions at Electronic Arts and Procter & Gamble. He was appointed president and COO of Nintendo of America in 2019, succeeding the retiring Reggie Fils-Aime. During his leadership, Bowser played a key role in the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 and the expansion of Nintendo into new entertainment ventures, like theme parks and movie productions.
“Now, it’s the right time to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders, and Devon’s track record speaks volumes,” Bowser commented. “She is an outstanding leader, and her promotion reflects her impressive performance and valuable strategic contributions to the company’s growth. I am absolutely confident that she will guide Nintendo to even greater successes.”
“I am incredibly honored and excited to embrace this new challenge,” said Pritchard. “Doug has been a wonderful mentor, and I’m eager to build upon the solid foundation he helped create. With characters and worlds that appeal to everyone, my primary goal will be to continue enhancing Nintendo’s history of delighting our loyal fans while also welcoming new players into the Nintendo family.”
In a separate leadership update within Nintendo of America, Satoru Shibata is joining the organization as CEO. He will continue to serve in his existing roles as managing executive officer and corporate director, member of the board at Nintendo Co., Ltd. Previously, Shibata served as the president of Nintendo of Europe from 2000 to 2018.
Rest assured, there will be no changes to the role of the menacing turtle Bowser within the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario’s arch-nemesis will remain in his dual roles as Lord Bowser and King of the Koopas, a position he’s held since 1985, according to a source close to the Goomba army.