Former Nintendo boss Reggie Fils-Aimé joins GameStop’s board of directors

Reggie Fils-Aimé stepped down as Nintendo of America president in February 2019, set on retiring and relaxing after more than a decade in the role. That relaxation period has come to an end, however, with Fils-Aimé set to join GameStop’s board of directors at a time when the gaming retail chain could use some much needed guidance. GameStop has undergone big changes as its quarterly revenue and stock continue to deteriorate. Part of that includes pivoting to being more than a physical games retailer, selling products like Funko Pop toys and geek-related apparel.

The company is also reportedly laying off mid-level managers and employees in an attempt to cut costs, according to Polygon. Fils-Aimé will hopefully help GameStop figure out its next steps as it tries to remain relevant and successful in an increasingly digital world. “The gaming industry needs a healthy and vibrant GameStop,” Fils-Aimé tweeted. “I look forward to being a part of GameStop’s Board and helping to make this happen.

” Fils-Aime joins the board with two others: William Simon and James Symancyk. Simon was the former CEO of Walmart, and Symancyk is the current CEO and president of PetSmart. Both Simon and Symancyk will start immediately, while Fils-Aime is set to join on April 20th. Their appointments come in wake of board members Dan DeMatteo, Gerald Szczepanski, Larry Zilavy, and Steve Koonin stepping down.

“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,” George Sherman, GameStop CEO, said in a statement. During his time as Nintendo of America president, Fils-Aimé oversaw the launches of several successful and innovative platforms, including the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo’s current hot seller, the Switch. Fils-Aimé was also in charge of the company when Nintendo released its less successful console, the Wii U. Fils-Aimé became known as “Reggie” to Nintendo fans, making appearances at popular conferences like E3 and hosting a number of important Nintendo Direct keynotes to announce new games coming out.