Shuji Utsumi has been named President/COO and CEO of Sega America and Europe, as announced by Sega Sammy, Sega's parent company. Utsumi, a renowned figure in the video game industry, played a crucial role in launching Sony's PlayStation in North America and was a key figure in the release of Sega Dreamcast outside Japan. He is credited with producing many of Sega's classic games.
After leaving Sega in the early 2000s, Utsumi joined Disney Interactive, significantly contributing to the creation of the Kingdom Hearts franchise through collaboration with Square Enix. He also co-founded Q Entertainment with Tetsuya Mizuguchi, a relationship that began during his tenure at Sega.
Returning to Sega in 2020, Utsumi held various leadership roles, including CSO of Sega of Japan and General Manager of Sega’s Game Contents & Service Business HQ. Before his appointment, he was the Co-COO, President of Consumer Game and Transmedia, Representative Director, CEO of Sega of America, and Chairman of Sega Europe Ltd.