Koei Tecmo founder steps down as CEO after more than 45 years with the company
, by Thibaut
Yoichi Erikawa and his wife Keiko Erikawa founded Koei in 1978. The two founders ran the company until 2009, when they bought out Tecmo. It was then that the company was then renamed Tecmo Koei (then Koei Tecmo) and came under the command of Kenji Matsubara.
But just 18 months later and after heavy losses, Yoichi Erikawa took back over the CEO chair, which he still holds today. On April 1, Erikawa will hand over the reins to Hisashi Koinuma, who will become representative director, president and CEO of Koei Tecmo. Since joining the publisher in 1994 as a programmer, the future new CEO has directed and produced several entries in the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors franchises.
For her part, Keiko Erikawa will become the company's director and president emeritus at the same time. These changes have been made to prepare Koei Tecmo for the next stage of its growth.