GamesIndustry.Biz is reporting that former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé has taken up a new position on the GameStop board of directors, along with the former CEO of Walmart US William “Bill” Simon and current PetSmart President and CEO James “JK” Symancyk.
Fils-Aimé served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America from 2006 to 2019. He became the public face of Nintendo of America after his appearance at the Nintendo conference at E3 in 2004 and became a regular staple of Nintendo’s various press briefings and Direct presentations.
Simon was President and CEO of Walmart US from 2010 to 2014. After his time at Walmart, Simon became an adjunct professor at Baylor University and served on the Baylor Board of Regents. Symancyk joined PetSmart in 2018 with more than 25 years of experience in retail. Prior to his time at PetSmart, Symancyk was President and CEO at Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Fils-Aimé, Simon, and Symancyk begin their duties on the GameStop board effective immediately as current members Dan DeMatteo, Gerald Szczepanski, Larry Zilavy, and Steve Koonin are retiring from their roles this June. The Board will also see Jerome Davis and Tom Kelly retiring in 2021. DeMatteo is currently serving as Chairman of the Board and will be succeeded by Lead Independent Director Kathy Vrabeck in June.
All of these changes are part of a broader restructuring effort as GameStop has adjusted its corporate governance. Under the new policy, independent directors will serve for an average board tenure of fewer than ten years, while committee members and chairs will rotate approximately every five years.
“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 GameStop CEO George Sherman. “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.”
While his new role will certainly involve less time in front of the camera, plenty of Nintendo fans will be pleased to know Reggie Fils-Aimé hasn’t completely left the games industry. Though it will be interesting to see what these three new appointees bring to GameStop’s future business strategy over the coming year.