Sega Europe brings in Rovio CEO for dual role after Post's departure

Jurgen Post is stepping down as COO of Sega Europe's West Studios. His successor is none other than Alex Pelletier-Normand, the current CEO of Rovio. Sega confirmed the change in a press release, after signals of Post's departure had already become visible via Companies House.

Post is not leaving Sega entirely: he will advise the company in a new advisory role. Tatsuyuki Miyazaki, a Sega veteran with over twenty years of experience and chief corporate officer at Sega Europe, takes over Post's additional duties as regional managing director.

Dual role for Rovio boss

Pelletier-Normand adds the role of COO West Studios to his existing position as CEO of the Angry Birds maker. He was appointed as Rovio's top executive in 2021, after having worked at Gameloft for sixteen years prior. Sega president Shuji Utsumi calls him "a leader who knows how to innovate" and speaks of a valuable collaboration between the two companies.

Pelletier-Normand himself says: "There is a wealth of experience and talent at Rovio and the Sega Europe studios. I look forward to combining those strengths and letting both companies grow and innovate."

Post returned to Sega Europe in 2024, after having previously worked for the company for over ten years. Afterwards, he was president at Tencent's European branch and CEO of Miniclip, among other roles. His return was meant to give the European studios a new impetus.

Rovio acquisition not yet fully digested

The change takes place against the backdrop of Sega's acquisition of Rovio in 2023, then worth $706 million. That deal is not without problems: in February 2026, Sega had to take an impairment of $200 million on the purchase due to disappointing results. Sega now seems to want to show with this personnel shift that the integration of Rovio is being taken seriously.

Jurgen Post is thanked for his efforts, according to Utsumi: "He helped the company on an upward path." That Sega keeps him in an advisory role indicates continuity in strategy.

The question is what this dual leadership means for the development of both Sega's own IPs and Rovio's mobile games. Pelletier-Normand speaks of mutual learning, but whether that also leads to better games for the player remains to be seen. What do you think of this structure? Is it smart to have the boss of Rovio also steer the West Studios, or would Sega have been better off appointing a separate COO? Opinions will undoubtedly be divided.