After 6 years at the top of Nintendo of America, Doug Bowser is retiring to make room for the company's first female president, Devon Pritchard: "It's time for the next generation of leadership"

Doug Bowser has spent six years as president of Nintendo of America enduring jokes about his name, but that's about to change, as the executive has just announced his retirement. Taking his place is Devon Pritchard, a 19-year NOA veteran who will be the first woman to serve as the head of the company.

In a press release, Bowser said that "leading Nintendo of America has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am proud of what our team has accomplished in both business results and the experiences we've created for consumers."

Bowser came to the video game industry in 2007, as EA's VP of retail planning and marketing, but after eight years with the publisher in various roles, he joined Nintendo of America as vice president of sales in 2015. By 2019, he'd become NOA's president, and in 2024 added the title of chief operating officer to his resume.

"Now, it's time for the next generation of leadership and Devon's track record speaks for itself," Bowser continued in his statement. "She is an exceptional leader, and her promotion is a testament to her strong performance and strategic contributions to the company's growth. I have full confidence that she will guide the company to even greater heights."

Devon Pritchard succeeds Bowser after an even longer history with the company, where she served as executive vice president for nearly 20 years. She'll be the fifth person to head NOA since it was founded in the '80s, after Bowser, Reggie Fils-Aime, Tatsumi Kimishima, and Minoru Arakawa.

"I am humbled and excited to take on this new role," Pritchard said in a statement. "Doug has been a fantastic mentor, and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation he has helped establish. With characters and worlds that offer something for everyone, my focus will be continuing to build on Nintendo's legacy of surprising and delighting our longtime fans, while at the same time welcoming new players into the Nintendo family."

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