Sega Europe appoints Chris Bergstresser as new president and COO

Hot off the back of two promotions for John Clark and Tim Heaton, Sega Europe has announced that Chris Bergstresser is to take on the role of its new president and COO.

In this role, Bergstresser will be responsible for the overall management of the business, including overseeing its five owned studios, and delivering third party IP that have the potential to become franchises. He will report directly to Sega West CEO Tatsuyuki Miyazaki, and will be supported by Clark and Heaton.

Bergstresser will also be utilising all available resources to maximise the company’s profitability within the EMEA, Americas and Australasia regions, in accordance with the company’s ‘Road to 2020’ plan. He will also be fully responsible for the European P&L and London-based European headquarters, collaborating with the company’s HQ in Tokyo.

Previously, Bergstresser worked as an investment executive and board advisor for several entertainment companies, and has spent over 25 years within the video games industry. He was also EVP and board director for Miniclip and SVP of publishing and online entertainment for Atari.

Bergstresser said: I’m delighted to be joining the incredible SEGA Europe team at what could be described as a pivotal moment in the company’s history. With the road to 2020 mapped out by SEGA Sammy, all areas of the business must work closely together to drive continued success and innovation.

"It will be up to the team and I to ensure that SEGA Europe continues to be a leader in the games business around the world. I am very much looking forward to the challenge.”

Tatsuyuki Miyazaki added:SEGA has outlined a solid plan towards further profitability by 2020 and needs cutting edge leaders to help make this goal a reality. In that respect, Chris joins SEGA Europe at a very exciting time.

We believe that Chris has all the qualities required to take SEGA Europe to the next level and help us achieve these goals. We are looking forward to seeing how the business moves forward under his guidance.”