Nintendo Shake‑Up: Devon Pritchard Becomes First Woman to Lead Nintendo of America as Doug Bowser Retires; Satoru Shibata Installed as CEO
What changed—and why it matters Nintendo of America announced a planned leadership hand‑off: Doug Bowser retires Dec 31, 2025; Devon Pritchard becomes NOA President & COO on Jan 1, 2026. In the same move, Satoru Shibata—a veteran who previously led Nintendo of Europe and now serves on Nintendo’s board—will become CEO of NOA, adding a direct HQ link over the American subsidiary. The company framed the transition as continuity through a historic Switch 2 launch year and its expanding entertainment ventures (theme parks, film). Business Wire “Leading Nintendo of America has been the honor of a lifetime,” Bowser said. Pritchard added,