5 Things You May Not Know About New Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa

Today Nintendo announced Shuntaro Furukawa will be succeeding Tatsumi Kimishima as President and CEO of Nintendo from June 2018.

As many people are unfamiliar with who Shuntaro Furukawa is, we’ve compiled a few facts that you may not know about him.

1. Furukawa’s Age

Furukawa is currently 46 years old, making him one of the youngest Nintendo Presidents of all time. Tatsumi Kimishima is currently 68. Satoru Iwata, the 4th President and CEO of Nintendo, took office when he was 42.

2. Furukawa’s Resume

Furukawa joined Nintendo in 1994 and subsequently Nintendo’s board of directors in 2016, one year after Iwata’s sudden death. He is also a board member of The Pokemon Company, which Nintendo owns a 33% share of.

3. Furukawa’s Work

Furukawa led marketing efforts for the Nintendo Switch, which was a huge success for Nintendo and the game industry. He’s currently in charge of the Global Marketing Department and holds the position of General Manager at Corporate Planning Department, the same division Iwata headed before he became President.

4. Furukawa’s Language

Furukawa understands Japanese and is fluent in speaking English. He has also spent 1/3 of his career overseas in Germany.

5. Furukawa’s Favorite Game

When asked about what game he was playing lately, Furukawa answered he was currently checking out Golf Story on Nintendo Switch.