Nintendo UK Staffs Up Following High Ranking Departures

Matthias Hempfling and Kalpesh Tailor take on senior roles

by Damien McFerran Wed 30th Mar 2016

Nintendo UK has had a pretty busy period in terms of staff changes. Leading figures such as marketing boss Shelly Pearce, head of PR Jo Bartlett, brand manager Roger Langford, product manager Vanisha Kavia, community manager Jonathan Town and Junior PR manager Emily Wooliscroft have all left the company over the past year. Head of consumer marketing James Honeywell - who recently celebrated 20 years of service with Nintendo - has also recently moved on.

To replace some of these individuals, Nintendo UK has sourced talent from Nintendo of Europe. Matthias Hempfling has crossed the English Channel to become marketing and PR director, while Kalpesh Tailor has assumed the role of head of communications.

Hempfling was employed as senior European marketing manager at Nintendo Europe and will oversee Nintendo UK's marketing campaigns, reporting directly to Nintendo UK general manager Simon Kemp.

Tailor was previously senior European PR manager at Nintendo of Europe and will report directly to Hempfling. His role will be to oversee all PR, social media and community activities, along with his core team of assistant PR manager Emma Bunce, social media and digital content manager Ashley Day and UK community manager James Bowden.

Here's what Kemp had to say:

With 2016 off to a dynamic start, we are delighted to have Matthias and Kalpesh join the UK team. Each brings not only an array of marketing and communications experience and Nintendo knowledge, but offer a fresh perspective on the UK market.

Tailor added:

It is an incredibly exciting time to be with Nintendo UK, and having started my career based in the UK headquarters, I am very pleased to be returning. With so many great products and services on the horizon from Nintendo, I look forward to working with the team to deliver the magic that Nintendo is known for.

While the Wii U and 3DS are winding down, 2016 is shaping up to be a pivotal year in Nintendo's history. Tomorrow sees the western launch of Miitomo, while Nintendo's next console - currently known as NX - could be with us before Christmas. Hempfling and Tailor will therefore be key additionals to the Nintendo UK roster as the year moves forward, and we at Nintendo Life wish them all the best in their new roles.

[source mcvuk.com]

Damien has been writing professionally about tech and video games since 2007 and oversees all of Hookshot Media's sites from an editorial perspective. He's also the editor of Time Extension, the network's newest site, which – paradoxically – is all about gaming's past glories.

1
Grumblevolcano
Wed 30th Mar 2016

I sure am concerned about Nintendo on the EU front this year. If UK leave the EU then Nintendo will definitely be hit negatively.

2
FragRed
Wed 30th Mar 2016

@Grumblevolcano What ever happens with the UK and EU happens and Nintendo will cross that bridge if anything changes.

Personally I'm more concerned that so many have left Nintendo UK in a short time frame. That at face value doesn't look good.

3
Judgedean
Wed 30th Mar 2016

@FragRed Good comment. Yeah with what happened in South Korea and this "disguised shuffle", maybe Nintendo is restructuring?? Maybe the new boss is making some changes??

4
Moon
Wed 30th Mar 2016

While I'm sure that they all did a great job, hopefully these new guys can breathe a bit of life into Nintendo, as they've pretty much got no presence over here.

5
Danrenfroe2016
Wed 30th Mar 2016

If I was head of marketing I would quit too... How do you sell a weird looking console with a screen on the massive controller and complete against MS and Sony?

6
Grumblevolcano
Wed 30th Mar 2016

@FragRed True, maybe even the employees think the NX is a bad console.

7
FragRed
Wed 30th Mar 2016

@Judgedean I agree. I think Nintendo are gearing themselves up for a major shift, in part due to perhaps the biggest console and reveal in Nintendo’s recent history but also with the focus also on mobile games, new blood may well be a good thing for Nintendo. Especially if Nintendo actually puts some real effort into marketing the NX here in the UK on the scale they did with previous generations prior to 3DS & Wii U.

8
SLIGEACH_EIRE
Wed 30th Mar 2016

I'd love to know what they do at Nintendo UK because as far as I can see it's very little.

9
Mario_Fart
Wed 30th Mar 2016

Nintendo has a marketing department?!

10
FragRed
Wed 30th Mar 2016

@Mario_Fart Yeah it's the closet next to the toilets. It's usually used as a storage room for mops, other cleaning supplies and the occasional cardboard box.

11
sandman89
Wed 30th Mar 2016

@Danrenfroe2016 with Pokemon snap!!

12
Knuckles
Wed 30th Mar 2016

@James Darn, was hoping to see you promoted to NoE President.

13
AmplifyMJ
Wed 30th Mar 2016

@Sligeach I love Nintendo but.... Yeah, I see very little effort in the UK on their part! I think I've sold more 3DS family of systems and Wii U to my friends and family than they have, seriously.