adminThe Sega Europe COO leadership structure is changing, with Jurgen Post stepping down from his operational role at West Studios. Rovio CEO Alex Pelletier-Normand will take on the position while continuing to lead the Angry Birds company. Post will remain with Sega Europe in an advisory capacity, and his regional managing director responsibilities will pass to Sega veteran Tatsuyuki Miyazaki.
Image credit: (Left to right) Alex Pelletier-Normand and Jurgen Post // Sega Europe
Sega Europe COO role passes to Rovio CEO
Pelletier-Normand is adding the West Studios COO position to his existing responsibilities as Rovio’s CEO. Sega said the appointment builds on the relationship between the two businesses and brings together leadership experience across their studios.
Sega president and COO Shuji Utsumi credited Post with helping the company make progress after his return in 2024. Post will continue offering advice to the business, rather than leaving Sega Europe entirely. For readers tracking the change, the key distinction is that his operational duties are being reassigned while his advisory connection remains.
Miyazaki, Sega Europe’s chief corporate officer and a company veteran of more than 20 years, will assume Post’s regional managing director responsibilities. This separates the regional management handover from Pelletier-Normand’s new West Studios remit.
Leadership backgrounds at Sega and Rovio
Post’s career at Sega Europe began in 2006, when he joined as managing director. He later became president and COO before leaving the company in 2017. He subsequently worked at Tencent as president of international partners for its European arm, then became CEO of Miniclip. In 2024, he returned to Sega Europe as West Studios COO and regional managing director.
Pelletier-Normand became Rovio’s CEO in 2021, after joining the company as executive vice president of games in 2019. Before Rovio, he spent 16 years at Gameloft, from 2003 to 2019. His new Sega responsibilities will therefore sit alongside his current position rather than replace it.
Pelletier-Normand has described the opportunity as a chance for teams across Rovio and Sega Europe’s studios to share expertise and work together. The stated aim is to support continued improvement and innovation, while drawing on the creative strengths of both companies.
What the Sega and Rovio connection means
Sega acquired Rovio in 2023 for €706 million. The acquisition has also involved financial challenges: Sega recorded a $200 million impairment charge related to the cost of acquiring Rovio in February. The leadership appointment comes as the businesses continue working under the same corporate group.
An impairment charge is an accounting adjustment that reflects a reassessment of an asset’s value; it does not, by itself, describe every aspect of a company’s operating performance. When following the deal, readers can distinguish this reported charge from day-to-day results and watch for further company updates on integration and business performance.
What to watch next
The immediate changes are clear: Pelletier-Normand takes on the Sega Europe COO role at West Studios, Post moves into an advisory position, and Miyazaki assumes the regional managing director duties. How the studios collaborate and how the combined businesses perform will be important measures of the transition over time.
In short, the Sega Europe COO change keeps Post connected to the company while placing Pelletier-Normand in an expanded leadership position. The next updates on studio operations and the Sega-Rovio relationship will help show how the new structure develops.
