President of Pokemon USA, Inc. to Step Down
Kenji Okubo Promoted as Successor
Pokemon USA, Inc. today announced Akira Chiba, president, will resign at the end of this year. After years of dedicated service, Mr. Chiba is proud to leave Pokemon USA upon completing his mission to re-establish Pokemon as a successful global brand. Mr. Chiba joined Pokemon USA in 2002 when the company's New York office was established, the brand's first corporate headquarters outside of Japan. Upon stepping down, Mr. Chiba has plans to pursue other opportunities.
Mr. Chiba will be replaced by Mr. Kenji Okubo, previously executive vice president and head of Pokemon USA's Seattle office, effective January 1, 2008. Mr. Okubo will manage Pokemon's operations in New York, Seattle and London, and will oversee all Pokemon initiatives outside of Japan including the Pokemon Trading Card Game, the long-running animated TV series, North American and European licensing and the recently launched, Pokemon Trading Figure Game. Prior to joining Pokemon USA in 2004, Mr. Okubo worked at The Pokemon Company headquarters in Tokyo, Japan as director of international business.
"During Mr. Chiba's tenure, Pokemon USA has greatly expanded," said Okubo. "The brand is topping industry charts across all categories -- including video games, toys, and trading card games -- plus the Pokemon animated TV series is hugely successful on Cartoon Network. We thank Mr. Chiba for his efforts on behalf of Pokemon and wish him success in the future."
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About Pokemon USA
Pokemon USA, Inc., a subsidiary of The Pokemon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia which includes licensing, marketing, the Pokemon Trading Card Game, an animated TV series, the Pokemon Trading Figure Game, home entertainment, the official Pokemon website, and online retail center www.pokemoncenter.com. Pokemon was launched in Japan in 1996 for play on Nintendo's Game Boy(R) and has since evolved into a global cultural phenomenon. Pokemon was introduced in North America in 1998 and today is one of the most popular toy and entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.
SOURCE: Pokemon USA, Inc.
