The Man With The Plans: Satoru Iwata, CEO Of Nintendo
It is a rare thing for a CEO of a computer company to be seen working in the art department of the company they run. No one would expect to see Tom Cook, CEO of Apple Computers, at a drafting board adjusting the design of the next iPod! And yet, Satoru Iwata periodically works on art for Nintendo software . . . despite the fact that he is CEO of Nintendo!
The board of directors of Nintendo promoted Satoru Iwata to CEO following the resignation of Hiroshi Yamauchi. Members of the Yamauchi family had, historically, run Nintendo and the promotion of Satoru Iwata to CEO and President of the company marked a profound shift for the company. Why did Nintendo change its longstanding tradition? Quite simply, there was no one better for the job than Iwata!
Satoru Iwata began working for the software laboratory, HAL Laboratory, right out of college. HAL Laboratory was only three years old when Iwata took over as coordinator of software production, developing the Kirby franchise from the ground up for Nintendo. With many successful projects under his belt, Iwata became president of HAL Laboratory. He served as President for seven years before Nintendo wooed him to become their head of corporate planning. He served in that capacity for only two years before Nintendo’s board of directors promoted him to CEO and President of Nintendo.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Satoru Iwata has seen Nintendo through some of its most profitable years, with no foreseeable end in sight! Black Friday 2011 was the company’s most successful sales day for the Wii gaming console. This might seem un-extraordinary until one considers the console has been on the market for six years now! To have a bestselling game console after six years is an exceptional business feat.
As well, the Nintendo portable system, the 3DS, became a remarkable commercial success. While many other video game companies were altering their business models to put their games on smartphones and other portable devices, Iwata saw an opportunity to reinvent dedicated portable video game hardware. Iwata’s vision was prophetic as the 3DS and its related software had exceptional sales leading up to Christmas 2011.
More than anything else, Satoru Iwata is a man of vision. He is an expert planner and his willingness to take calculated risks in a traditionally unstable market has made him a world leader in the video game marketplace. As CEO of Nintendo, he has plans to keep the company growing for years to come and if history is any indication, he will be wildly successful. Still, that does not mean you won’t find him working on the artwork or game design for the next Legend Of Zelda release!
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