Sega boss Hayes resigns amid downsize operation

Mike Hayes is to resign as Sega West chief executive, bringing to a close eight years spearheading the company.

The popular industry executive will depart in the summer, according to MCV, though the reasons for resignation are unknown.

Sega is preparing to make numerous job cuts and project cancellations across its European and US businesses. Employee redundancies will come in effect as the group looks to axe multiple game projects in development.

In March, the publisher said it was setting aside about £54 million for the restructuring process.

After stepping down from Sega, Hayes is expected to focus on advisory and non-executive across a number of industries. He has already become a trustee of the Birmingham Hippodrove Theatre Trust, according to MCV.

Hayes’s European duties will be passed to Jurgen Post, the COO of Sega Europe.

Sega president Naoya Tsurumi said Hayes “is a great character and very passionate about the industry, he helped steer the extraordinary growth of Sega and has built an exceptional team of professionals that will stand us in good stead for the future.”

Tsurumi added: “Mike has achieved a huge amount during his time at Sega and we thank him for the amazing things he has accomplished.”

Hayes has overseen a tenfold growth in Sega as it switched from format-holder to multiplatform developer and publisher.

Specific highlights in Hayes’s tenure has been moving the firm to a more digital business model, and acquiring The Creative Assembly and Sports Interactive, responsible for Sega’s biggest hits on PC.

This was just one phase in a hugely impressive games industry career. He was responsible for the pan European launch of the Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary board games from the mid to late-1980s and the re-launch of the NES Nintendo system in 1989.

In 1990 he was responsible for the launch of the multi-million selling Game Boy handheld games system and in 1991 the 16-bit SNES Nintendo system.