Mar 24, 2021 - Economy

Most of GameStop's board to step down

GameStop

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Eight members of GameStop's board of directors will leave the company after the gaming retailer's annual meeting in June, according to a new filing.

Why it matters: The "significant changes" will ensure a near-total transformation of board leadership for a company riding a stock market rollercoaster. It also affirms that new board members, led by Chewy co-founder Ryan Cohen, will chart the company's future.

The planned exits, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, include Reggie Fils-Aimé, who was appointed to the board last March and who had previously become a gaming industry celebrity as the long-time president of Nintendo's American division.

  • Also leaving is Kathy Vrabeck, a former executive at Activision. Her plan to exit was announced in January.
  • That will leave the board with far less games industry expertise.

Between the lines: Cohen has been calling for a company shake-up since late last year, pushing for a shift to digital sales.

  • In early March, GameStop announced that Cohen would chair a "strategic planning and capital allocation committee" to figure out the company's future. None of the eight departing board members were on it.
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