SEGA of Europe President Jurgen Post to step down
SEGA of Europe has announced that its President and COO Jurgen Post, who has been with the company for 10 years, is leaving.
Post directed the streamlining of SEGA’s business operations in 2012, which saw the company close offices throughout Europe and shift focus to digital titles and key franchises Sonic, Aliens, Total War and Football Manager. Post also oversaw the acquisitions of Relic, Amplitude Studios and Crytek Black Sea.
“Jurgen leaving us is a huge loss, but he leaves SEGA Europe with the business in a fantastic position and in the capable hands of a superb team who will strive to keep moving it forward”, said Tatsuyuki Miyazaki, CEO for SEGA West. “We wish Jurgen all the very best for the future and in his new role and hope that his employees there will find him as inspirational and as motivating as we did here.”
There’s no word on what Post has planned next, but SEGA has said that SEGA Europe’s CFO, John Ward, will act as interim COO until Post’s replacement is named.
See below for the full press release:
SEGA Europe announce the departure of COO and President, Jurgen Post
London, UK – 24 th May, 2017 – SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced the departure of their COO and President, Jurgen Post. Jurgen had been with SEGA for over ten years, serving as Managing Director and Senior Vice President before being elevated to the position of COO and President for SEGA Europe in 2012.
Jurgen instigated and oversaw a seismic shift in SEGA Europe’s business operation back in 2012, making the very difficult decision to streamline the company’s European setup, closing the European offices and doubling down on a newly formed pillar structure. The pillar structure was at the time Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive, Alien and Sonic the Hedgehog, and the aim was, and still is, to focus on quality consumer experiences instead of quantity.
Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength, with SEGA Europe acquiring two new studios forming all new pillars in Relic Entertainment and Amplitude Studios, in addition to acquiring Crytek Black Sea (now Creative Assembly Sofia). Huge partnerships have been signed with the likes of Microsoft, Wargaming and Elex to license existing IP, release new IP and build new franchises.
Additionally, a raft of fantastic best practice PC conversions have been released including Bayonetta and Valkyria Chronicles, much to the delight of fans.
“Jurgen leaving us is a huge loss, but he leaves SEGA Europe with the business in a fantastic position and in the capable hands of a superb team who will strive to keep moving it forward”, said Tatsuyuki Miyazaki, CEO for SEGA West. “We wish Jurgen all the very best for the future and in his new role and hope that his employees there will find him as inspirational and as motivating as we did here.”
The legacy Jurgen leaves behind is of a business transformed. A market leader in the PC strategy genre with one eye firmly on the console market and many exciting projects in the works. His tenure has seen Creative Assembly grow to become one the largest development studios in Europe, Sports Interactive to experiment with new ideas within the Football Manager franchise and nurtured the undeniable development talents of Relic Entertainment and Amplitude Studios. It’s a very different SEGA to the company many of us grew up with but it is once again, on the path to great things and SEGA Europe Ltd. would like to publically thank Jurgen for his leadership, his dedication to a vision and his tireless work to realise it.
SEGA Europe’s CFO, John Ward, will act as interim COO while Jurgen’s replacement is sought, with the full backing of the senior management team. For more information about SEGA, follow us on Twitter and Facebook or log on to www.sega.co.uk.
