Nintendo of America (NOA) announced today that Doug Bowser will retire as the company's president and chief operating officer on December 31, 2025. Replacing him will be Devon Pritchard, "a 19-year veteran of the video game industry and long-standing member of the NOA leadership team." Pritchard will also join the NOA board of directors and become an executive officer at Nintendo.
In addition to this move, Satoru Shibata will join NOA as chief executive officer. Shibata will still continue on as the managing executive officer, corporate director, and member of the board at Nintendo.
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. Earlier this year, he expanded on that mission when he oversaw the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 in the Americas and helped establish the system as the best-selling video game console of all time in its initial sales period.
If it feels like Bowser just took over for Reggie Fils-Aime as the president of of Nintendo of America, you aren't entirely wrong. Fils-Aime announced his own retirement from Nintendo of America in February 2019, with his last official day on April 15, 2019. Bowser took over for Fils-Aime as the president of Nintendo of America at that point.
“One of my earliest video game experiences was playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong,” said Bowser. “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,” Bowser continued. “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.”
“Now, it’s time for the next generation of leadership and Devon’s track record speaks for itself,” Bowser continued. “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.”
“I am humbled and excited to take on this new role,” said Pritchard. “Doug has been a fantastic mentor, and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation he has helped establish. With characters and worlds that offer something for everyone, my focus will be continuing to build on Nintendo’s legacy of surprising and delighting our longtime fans, while at the same time welcoming new players into the Nintendo family.”
