Takashi Iizuka Takashi Iizuka Promoted With New Title in SEGA Sammy Executive Shake-Up

[Dreadknux]

SEGA Sammy will be naming Takashi Iizuka as an Executive Officer of the company starting 1 April 2023, according to a new corporate notice to investors.

When the new financial year begins, Iizuka - who has previously held leadership roles at Sonic Team as well as a key production officer at the wider SEGA organisation - will be given the title of Executive Officer (Sonic Creative Officer, SEGA of America, Inc.). It is listed as a newly-elected position.

Of course, for many years now Iizuka’s job has adapted to reflect his work within the Sonic Brand team - even relocating to SEGA’s American office to lead the Brand team’s creative efforts. So this news counts as a formalisation of that changing role.

We see it as a promotion, ourselves, so we’ll just say - congratulations Iizuka-san!

Source: SEGA Sammy IR Notice

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[DaBigJ]

>April 1st

Hm, sounds suspicious /j

Jokes aside, congratulations to Iizuka! He honestly deserves it  

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Iizuka absolutely deserves this promotion. That being said, I hope this isn't another one of those corporate moves of kicking the man upstairs where he has technically less direct influence on the franchise(s) and whatnot.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Well, I wonder how this is gonna shake things up?

[jungle_penguins]

Iizuka got a pay raise and that's all that matters. 

[Red Hot Jack]

The man deserves this win.

[Blue Blood]

Good for him. I hope this gives Iizuka more power over the franchise. The guy has been grafting for it forever. I don't agree with all of his creative decisions, but on the whole he's done the series good, especially in recent years. The strong performance of Frontiers despite its protracted development cycle and reception of the movies probably had something to with it. 

[Shaddy Zaphod]

Iizuka has made a lot of strange choices, but he clearly has the best interests of the series in mind, and I have a suspicion that his delay for Frontiers saved that game from being a complete mess. I hope this means that some of the more corporate aspects of the series can be a bit more subdued. Sonic is always cool when it leans into the idiosyncrasies of passionate creators.

[DaddlerTheDalek]

Congratulations Iizuka! I hope this gives him more power to do good things for the franchise.