After Reggie Fils-Aimé retired from Nintendo, many of us wondered how he would spend all of that free time he now had. Well, it seems a decision has now been made: Mr. Fils-Aimé has joined the GameStop Board of Directors.
VentureBeat reported on the move, adding that Reggie would be joined by two other additions. Bill Simon has had 30 years of executive experience in various industries. He's being joined by J.K. Cymancyk, the president and Chief Executive of PetSmart. Ultimately, GameStop is hoping that the addition of these three experienced businessmen will help turn their company around in an era where physical products are becoming increasingly supplanted by digital sales.
"The board refreshment and governance enhancements announced today represent an important milestone in GameStop’s transformation as we continue to evolve the company’s business strategy for long-term success," said George Sherman, Chief Executive of GameStop. "We are pleased to welcome Reggie, Bill, and J.K. to the board. They are each highly qualified and bring significant, relevant experience to our turnaround. We look forward to immediately benefitting from their expertise and perspectives as we navigate the evolving gaming and retail environments, execute on our strategic initiatives and prepare the Company to maximize value-creation associated with the next generation of console launches later this year."
Others Leave GameStop as Reggie Fils-Aimé Joins the Company
Mr. Fils-Aimé joining a corporate board is a big move, but not necessarily as big a move as you might think. Many boards only get together occasionally, and it's not uncommon to see a single individual serve on half a dozen Boards of Directors or even more than that.
Still, GameStop is counting on Reggie Fils-Aimé and the other two new additions to leverage their experience in the industry and drive the gaming retail giant to success. As these three new names join the board, Dan DeMatteo, Steve Koonin, Gerald Szczepanski, and Larry Zilavy and are heading out the door.
"Looking ahead, we are excited about the progress our new leadership team has made to date," stated Gamestop Director Kathy Vrabeck. "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 Fils-Aimé is perhaps most famously known for the "My Body is Ready" meme while also being the face of Nintendo in English-speaking countries. His experience surely contributed to helping prepare Nintendo for a new era of gaming — maybe he'll be able to do the same for GameStop.
What do you think of Reggie Fils-Aimé joining the Board of Directors at GameStop? Do you think that he and the other new additions will be able to turn the company around? Let us know in the comments below!
