Richard Burns
From Sega Retro
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| Richard Burns |
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| Place of birth: United States |
| Date of birth: 1955[1] (age 68-69) |
| Employment history: Sony Corporation of America[2] (1983 – 1991)
Rocket Science Games[1] (1994-10 – 1995-03)
3Dfx Interactive[2] (1998 – 2001)
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| Role(s): Executive[2] |
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Richard Burns is an American businessman and former Sega of America Senior Vice President of Sales.[1][2]
Career
Richard Burns was hired by Sega of America in July 1991 as the company's Senior Vice President of Sales[1], brought on board to assist in the uphill battle against Nintendo's dominance over the home video game market. Burns was largely tasked with getting Sega of America's sales division into shape, as per his words, they were "seen as carpetbaggers by retail buyers"[3], and lacked the professionalism to handle sales for Sega's growing market share. Burns' newly-assembled team would consist of 18 sales executives and 150 customer service representatives, and over his three years with Sega of America, sales grew from $250M to $1.5B. More importantly, the company's market market share increased from 5% to 55% - achieving a majority over Nintendo for the first time.[3]
After departing Sega of America in October 1994, Burns moved to a position as Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Rocket Science Games.[1]