Nintendo of America has put out a press release via Business Wire naming Devon Pritchard as the company's Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Communications.
Since November 2021 Pritchard had been in the role in an 'acting executive' capacity and has now been appointed to the role on a permanent basis.
Pritchard has been with Nintendo of America for 16 years, and was previously Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Publisher Relations. NOA President Doug Bowser had this to say about this newest appointment:
“Devon’s years of leadership at Nintendo give her a deep understanding of our people, our products and our fans. I have worked closely with Devon over the years and know she will use her knowledge of the brand and unique skill set to help expand our markets, drive engagement and grow our business through fresh ideas and inspired thinking that will help Nintendo continue to put smiles on the faces of our customers.”
Her role in overseeing "major Nintendo Switch game launches like Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Nintendo Switch Sports" apparently played a part in landing this acting role on a permanent basis.
The press release highlights that "strategy and execution across the U.S. and Canada" fall within Prichard's remit and that she reports directly to Bowser.
Executive Vice President for "Strategy and Execution", eh? Now that's a title! Going to run that one past NL top brass at our next appraisal.
Comments 50
Congrats, I hope she enjoys the role.
I’m confused, which Nintendo villain is she named after?
Welcome Devon, now go get the table so we could 3D Sony and Microsoft.
Definitely quite the impressive resume. Hopefully that will shut down all the misogynist trolls who will undoubtedly claim she's just an affirmative action hire (as seems to increasingly be the case here in the United States, sadly, when anyone who is a minority--which includes women--gets into a leadership position). Based on her experience, she truly deserves the job. Best of luck to her!
Wishing her the best of being a new Executive for Nintendo!
I guess we could be looking at the next Reggie Fils-Aime/Doug Bowser.
Yay management! Give me an ‘M’...
@AstroTheGamosian isn't that a bit of a reach? She's clearly fit for the role(been with NoA for 16 years), why would anyone be against that?
Removed - flaming/arguing
@DiggleDog Maybe not a villian, but I'm pretty sure there's a Devon Corporation in the Pokémon games, particularly the Hoenn-based games.
Here's wishing her the best.
Looks like old Peach.
Congrats, good luck and have fun Devon Pritchard.
@AstroTheGamosian 'when anyone who is a minority--which includes women--gets into a leadership position'
How are women a minority when they are over 50% of the population in the US? Seen no claim that this is 'affirmative action' aka actual discrimination.
@DiggleDog Nintendo have started naming their people after random places in the U.K. I am fully expecting a London, Glasgow and heck Milton Keynes to follow.
@HammerGalladeBro @DiggleDog In Deus Ex: Human Revolution on Wii U (and other systems too, but this is a Nintendo site, and somewhat Nintendo reference because of this), you have a buddy you work with that handles upgrades of your augments and is your general tech guy that's named Pritchard. That's the first thing I thought of, so I guess it's kiiinda a reference in this regard?
Don’t want to be rude, but, is that a sweat stain at her right arm pit?
Guess working at Nintendo is hard work!
Have to chuckle a bit at the 'women are a minority in the sexist U.S.' mention - the world really is a colorful tapestry. She will do a wonderful job.
@AstroTheGamosian,
Not sure why you would even bring that point up, she is clearly deserving of the role, I suppose if someone had commented in a negative way.... then sure, but you just seem to be starting an argument for no reason.
She’s adorable. I hope we get to see her in stuff soon.
@FragRed I've heard good things about Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Smith
Nintendo definitely needs more work in their online department. I hope she pushes them into doing more microtransactions, NFT's, and season passes before EA dominates this space. Wouldn't it be great if Nintedo introduced MiiVerse where you could spend real money? Imagine purchasing virtual T-Shirts, based on your favorite bands, for $25 dollars for your Mii to wear?
@johnvboy though I agree with your sentiment, guys like Astro are simply commenting on what people are already thinking without saying it. Not implying that that’s the case, but SOMEONE in here is thinking it to be true. As for the minority bit, it isn’t minority of population, rather, minority of industry. Especially in macro and larger corporations, unless owned or created by one, women are less likely to be in CEO, Exec and President positions than straight white men. Look up CEO of “insert massive company” and see the ratio between men vs. women and people of color. It’s just a fact. Though those faces are changing everyday and Devon is just another new face switching up the competition. It’s a good thing. The person that always wins when there is strong competition? The consumer.
@JohnnyWarbux.
Get it totally, but at least let someone say it before jumping all over it, give the comment section the benefit of the doubt at least.
@strollin_stu,
People can vent of course it's their opinion at the end of the day, but sometimes there are different reasons to take into account for the differences, yes of course discrimination and bias paly a part, but to overlook all other factors that could also have an influence is short sighted too.
@martynstuff I believe they are tipped to become the new communications manager. Look forward to seeing their name on all blogs and PR posts.
@JohnnyWarbux there is no gender or race conspiracy, women don't pursue careers in STEM fields as much as men so you won't see them a lot In those fields, and minorities are a minority so it's basic math why they're not as present.
@retroman64
you might want to check your math, bud. 👍
@DiggleDog Her full name is Devon Waluigi Pritchard.
@Pak-Man,
Or one of the good guys/gals, Devon Daisy Pritchard.
@strollin_stu What do you not understand? They claimed women were in a minority when they factually are a larger percentage of the US (same here in Britain) than men.
congratulations to her, then.
@-wc- here you go https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2017/nsf17310/static/digest/png/figIa.png
@BeautyandtheBeer,
Even if any group represents a certain proportion of the overall population, and even if that number is a higher percentage of the total, it would still depend on what fields they opt to work in.
There will be fields where Women are more represented than men and vice versa, it's difficult to get total equality across all sectors, as there will be things that interest each individual group.
Wait, Nintendo has communications?
Removed - inappropriate language
@NEStalgia,
A big Direct coming this week, or next....... or next, or at some point in the next year or so, does this make me one of those Nintendo leakers.
Good for her. I hope she’s not some kind of political activist, like the people who ruined Disney.
@johnvboy You were right at least one of the last three times you leaked that a Direct would be arriving "someday", so that definitely makes you one of the reliable insiders!
@NEStalgia,
Well my uncle does work at Nintendo, so my info is solid and reliable, mark my words, there will be a direct at some point in the future.
@johnvboy Will it announce switch pro? Or 2? Or a phone case that counts as new hardware?
@JohnnyWarbux "Look up CEO of 'insert massive company' and see the ratio between men vs. women and people of color. It’s just a fact."
No, that's just an ideological claim. Since gender and race (and grouping people into those categories) is so important to you, what's the actual ratio? Which group is overrepresented and which group is underrepresented per their respective US population size?
"The person that always wins when there is strong competition? The consumer."
True, but what does the gender and race of an executive/employee have to do with competition?
@retroman64
wheres the math? thats not math.
@Arkay As I said, it will be misogynist trolls who will oppose this by her sheer nature of being a woman. Video games have traditionally been regarded as recreation for males, so women in the video game industry are sadly still looked down upon or even excluded. Just look at what's been going on at Activision Blizzard, after all.
@BeautyandtheBeer Even if women make up over 50% of the American population, our society, much like many of nations around the world, is still dominated by men. Any woman in a position of power, no matter how small, is a threat to their own power and fragile egos, so they harass and intimidate women (or anyone they consider to be a minority) to keep them out of their little exclusive club.
@strollin_stu I hope that's just sarcasm on your part. It's not just an American problem: it's a global problem. Even nations more progressive than ours still have this problem.
@johnvboy I never said she wasn't deserving of the role. She absolutely is. I'm not trying to start an argument, but merely stating the fact that someone out there will see this news and oppose it by her sheer nature of being a woman, regardless of her impressive qualifications. As I said earlier in this comment, video games have traditionally been considered for males only (even though it is and should be utter B.S.), so any woman in the industry has been looked down upon at some point in their career. Just look at what happened at Activision Blizzard, after all.
@AstroTheGamosian again, a bit of a reach, if they see that she is in fact qualified(as previously stated and the reason why as well) then they wouldn't complain.(The ones that do complain are obvious trolls and should not be taken seriously.)
Most of them complain when it's an obvious virtue signal hire.
This woman knows what she is doing and therefore has my support.
@AstroTheGamosian,
No problems, but at least wait for the nonsense to start.
@strollin_stu,
I think it's more of a feeling than a fact, that women get the short end of the stick, as I say you can't have total equality across all sectors/fields as each gender has different interest/goals.
Also we tend to measure success/ wealth in pure economic terms, ie someone is successful, has a good job with good pay etc... etc, therefore they are better off. While this would be true from a purely financial point of view, there are other points to consider.
The person with the money, let's for arguments sake say it's the male, may be working long hours which would put a strain on their relationships etc, they may as a result spend less quality time with their families/friends, wheras the other person may be less wealthy in terms of money etc, but far better off in terms of their personal life, which of course would make them far better off in other ways.
@strollin_stu,
Pretty sure women can get the same jobs as men and vice versa, weather either side has the inclination to attain those positions is another matter altogether, and there are such a myriad of factors that influence this, we would get a headache discussing it.
@Arkay She has my support, too. I'm just lamenting that those trolls can't get a life, and feel the need to drag her through the mud just because she was born a certain way. The criminalization of existence, as I call it.
@johnvboy Fair enough. Although, not that he would ever report on it, but if he did, I have a feeling that a certain bow tie-wearing opinion host on a "news" channel (and I use that term loosely, as you can't really call it news) named after a certain red animal would denigrate her as an affirmative action hire. He's done it with women in other powerful roles, after all.
@strollin_stu It absolutely is disgusting and wrong, to be sure. I've known women far smarter (and physically stronger) than most of their male peers, and it breaks my heart that the way she was born will keep her below them.
Although, I will say regarding minority status, as I said earlier, even if you make up a majority of the population, it doesn't equate to majority status. Look at South Africa under Apartheid, after all. The Black portion of the population made up the majority in terms of sheer numbers, but White portion of the population held all the political and socioeconomic power until the 1990s. And the repercussions of Apartheid are still felt today.
And some states here in America are gerrymandered in such a way that even if one party received a minority share of the votes, they hold a majority of the seats in their state legislatures. It's a problem that's only getting worse.
So what you end up effectively having is a tyranny of the minority, where the minority of a given population holds majority status, and keeps the true majority from reaping the benefits and wielding the power that the false majority enjoys. It's a sad state of affairs, really.
Never would I have thought to see the day where I would see someone who’s username is based off a Mario enemy dropping facts.
I salute you, @strollin_stu.
@AstroTheGamosian,
I would suggest the certain News channel you do not name, but at the same time do reveal, are the enemy of this i am the victim type of thinking, as many of the other News outlets clearly have an agenda to promote the idea of these mass conspiracies against certain groups.
As I said I have no issues with her appointment, or indeed any person who gets a strong position in a company based on their individual merits, more power to all of them I say.
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