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Former Sega president Kenji Matsubara named CEO of SNK

Publisher aims to expand corporate value under new leadership

The King of Fighters developer SNK Corporation announced that it has hired Kenji Matsubara as its new CEO.

The former Sega president will officially begin his role on August 1.

"We will aim for further growth and an increase in corporate value under his leadership," the company said.

"With the appointment of Kenji, we promise that SNK is positioning itself for a new phase of growth and development."

Throughout his career at Sega, Matsubara served in a number of positions such as chief technical officer, and chief operating officer. Last year, he resigned after serving as president for three years citing that it was due to "personal reasons."

Before joining Sega he was CEO and president of Temco Koei for nine years and spent two years in same role at social games publisher Zynga.

Last year, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia's foundation bought a 51% stake in SNK.

The investment raised concerns given the allegations against its leader and the nation, such as the country's poor human rights record.

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Jeffrey Rousseau: Jeffrey joined GamesIndustry.biz in March 2021. Based in Florida, his work focused on the intersectionality of games and media. He enjoys reading, podcasts, staying informed, and learning how people are tackling issues.
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