Image via Sony
© Sony
Sony Music Entertainment announced on Monday that Shu Nishimoto (pictured right), a current executive officer and the senior manager of the International Business Department of Aniplex, will replace Atsuhiro Iwakami (pictured below) as Aniplex’s representative director and president on April 1. Iwakami himself will be transition to representative director and chair of Aniplex.
Sony Music Entertainment previously announced this month that it is promoting Iwakami to become its president and representative director of its board, effective April 1. Iwakami will also serve as Group CEO and Business Group CEO in charge of visual and character business.
Additionally, Nishimoto and Tomonori Ochikoshi (an Aniplex board director and executive vice president) will serve as executive officers at Sony Music Entertainment.
Nishimoto joined Aniplex in 2009. He transferred to Aniplex of America in 2014 and became its president in 2017. He became an executive officer of Aniplex in 2022. He has been an executive producer of many Aniplex titles, including those in the Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/stay night, and Sword Art Online franchises.
Image courtesy of Aniplex of America
© Aniplex of America
As producer and head of Aniplex, Iwakami has been involved in many of the company’s productions, including the hit anime film Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train. He was also involved in recent Fate/Grand Order tie-in anime, including the Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia television anime and the Fate/Grand Order The Movie Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot anime films. Iwakami was given the Shin Watanabe award by the Watanabe Foundation for Music & Culture of the Watanabe Production company in 2021, in honor of promoting the development of pop culture.
Source: Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)
