In an official press release from GameStop today, it was revealed that former President and COO of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aimé, is joining GameStop’s Board of Directors this April. Other additions alongside Reggie include William “Bill” Simon and James “J.K.” Symancyk.
Reggie Fils-Aimé joins GameStop Board of Directors
© Reggie Fils-Aime
The gaming community reacted with a mixture of shock and surprise after hearing that GameStop has appointed former President and COO of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aimé, to its Board of Directors.
The move comes as GameStop works to save itself from closure, and in the wake of departures from previous directors (Dan DeMatteo, Gerald Szczepanski, Larry Zilavy, and Steve Koonin) as well as the future departure of directors Jerome Davis and Tom Kelly.
Addressing the changes to the Board of Directors, new Board Chair, Kathy Vrabeck, noted:
“We are excited about the progress our new leadership team has made to date. We are confident they will continue to accelerate the Company’s turnaround and transformation to drive shareholder value as they pursue opportunities to create meaningful entertainment experiences for our customers and enhance partnerships with gaming publishers and console and PC developers.”
Reggie also commented on his new position on Twitter, saying:
“The gaming industry needs a healthy and vibrant @GameStop. I look forward to being a part of @GameStopCorp Board and helping to make this happen.”
Reggie is being appointed as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee with a start date of April 20 (yes, 4/20). Meanwhile, William Simon, former EVP and COO of Walmart, is being appointed to the Audit Committee. Finally, James Symancyk with a resume that includes time as President and CEO of PetSmart, is being appointed as a member of the Compensation Committee.
The dramatic shift in who sits on the Board of Directors and the hiring of Reggie Fils-Aimé may potentially help GameStop turn things around and bounce back, although nothing is certain at this point. We’re surprised to hear that Reggie accepted such a role, and we look forward to seeing what he’s able to do working with GameStop in 2020.
After hearing that Reggie is joining GameStop’s Board of Directors, how are you feeling? Are you surprised? Excited? Let us know down in the comments below!
