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GameStop Hires Reggie Fils-Aime, Two Other Guys Not Famous For Kicking Ass Or Taking Names

Reggie Fils-Aime has retired as Nintendo of America president to teach, but he'll also be serving on the board for the games retailer.

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The video game retailer GameStop has hired former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime to its board of directors. He'll join the board effective April 20, 2020, amid several other board moves including retirements and two new additions.

The GameStop biography on Fils-Aime as a new board member mentions his long tenure at Nintendo from 2003 to 2019, with a portfolio that included work on the Nintendo DS, Wii, 3DS, and Switch--the Wii U goes curiously unmentioned. It also points out that he previously worked at VH1, Pizza Hut, Procter & Gamble, and others. He'll serve as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Fils-Aime was a well-known figure in the games industry, especially for his larger-than-life persona at fan-facing events. When he retired from Nintendo it appeared to be a departure from the games industry altogether, and he's since been teaching at Cornell University. He's still active in the community, though, regularly sharing insights from his time at Nintendo occasionally cracking jokes about his tenure. He was succeeded by Doug Bowser.

Joining him will be William Simmon, a former Walmart executive, and James Symancyk, the current president and CEO of Petsmart. Serving on a board of directors tends to be an advisory role, rather than a full-time position.

GameStop has been struggling in a changing industry that is increasingly adopting digital games and new technologies like game streaming. The management has made a point of publicizing information about its new initiatives, including a relaunched website and new pilot stores.

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