4. Reggie Fils-Aime
Nintendo


He began the year as Nintendo of America’s sales and marketing chief, but ends it as the company’s president. He has been at the fulcrum of Nintendo’s Herculean efforts to re-establish itself as a major force in the console business. And he has helped Nintendo hold onto its position of leadership in the handheld space. Innovation and smart positioning has been the difference between DS and Sony’s PSP. Nintendo’s fanboys have adopted ‘Reggie’ as one of their own, partly due to his own personal charm, partly due to his scathing and entertaining opinions of his competitors, and partly due to their need for a figurehead that could bring the glory days back to Nintendo. In 2006 Fils-Aime has worked brilliantly to set Nintendo’s agenda and to deliver against its promise.