Tom Kalinske

From Sega Retro

Tom Kalinske.jpg
Tom Kalinske
Company(ies): Sega of America
Role(s): Executive

Thomas "Tom" Kalinske is an American businessman who was president and CEO of Sega of America from October 1990[1] to 1996. He was the successor to Michael Katz.

Tom Kalinske was the face of SoA during a period of rapid growth and success, particularly between 1993 and 1994. His aggressive marketing decisions, such as price drops and the famous "Sega Scream" TV campaign, are frequently regarded as key elements in the success of the Sega Mega Drive (Sega Genesis) in North America. He was also instrumental in establishing a strong American arm to the company, capable of producing its own games and more equipped to take on rivals Nintendo which were dominating the market before his arrival.

After a reported falling out with Sega of Japan and lacklustre sales of the Sega Saturn, Kalinske quit the firm in 1996[2] and was replaced by the often-controversial Bernie Stolar.

Production history

Interview

Magazine articles

Main article: Tom Kalinske/Magazine articles.

References


Presidents of Sega Enterprises USA
Gene Lipkin (1985-1986) | Ned DeWitt | Tom Petit (1988-1994) | Alan Stone (1994-1996) | Howell Ivy (1996-2004) |

Co-president: David Rosen (1985-1996)

Presidents of Sega of America
Bruce Lowry (1986-1989) | | Michael Katz (1989-1990) | Tom Kalinske (1990-1996) | Bernie Stolar (1998-1999) | Peter Moore (1999-2003) | Hideaki Irie (2003-2005) | Simon Jeffery (2005-2009) | Mike Hayes (2009-2012) | John Cheng (2012-2018) | Ian Curran (2018)

Co-president: David Rosen (1986-1996)