Atlus announced quite recently that Shinichi Suzuki would step down as CEO and President of the North American subsidiary of Index Digital Media Inc. Naoto Hiraoka will be taking over the reins as the new CEO and President.

The step down has become effective as of yesterday. Suzuki is said to remain on board as an advisor until the end of September to help the transition of management. Naoto Hiraoka has spent 11 years in the industry and was the head of consumer business and was also producer on many of Atlus’ titles before he rose up to CEO and President yesterday.

Shinichi Suzuki steps down after 20 years of experience. He helped bring Atlus some of their most well-known titles including the Persona series, Demon’s Souls, Catherine, Radiant Historia, and Trauma Center. He also helped toward the creation of Atlus Online, a whole division within the company that focused primarily on online gameplay.

Shinichi Suzuki had this to say in his closing speech as CEO and President:

In the time since I assumed the role of President and CEO of Index Digital Media, Inc., the company has experienced tremendous success and growth. I am so proud to have served at the helm of such a well-loved brand as ATLUS. I thank my staff and all of the fans that continue to support the company and its games. Under new leadership, we will continue our proud tradition of excellent games and exceptional localizations. I extend my sincerest thanks to all who helped in some way to make us successful.

Naoto Hiraoka had this to say about the departure and his promotion:

I am honored to succeed Mr. Suzuki as the head of Index Digital Media. Like all ATLUS fans, I am grateful to him for his long service to the company and its many years of prosperity under his supervision. Moving forward, we will continue ATLUS’ esteemed legacy of extraordinary video games, retaining our focus on the core but remaining open to exploring new opportunities in emerging sectors.