News

Anime Expo's Parent Organization Seeks New CEO

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), the parent organization of the Anime Expo convention, has informed ANN that it is looking for a new chief executive officer (CEO). The SPJA provided the following statement to ANN:

The SPJA is actively searching for a new CEO to lead the organization. The current interim CEO is SPJA Board Chairman Mr. Marc Perez. The search for the CEO does not affect the progress, development, nor planning of Anime Expo® 2009. Anime Expo® is continuing in its efforts to bring the best in anime and manga to the U.S. and worldwide fan base.

The SPJA has been without a CEO since March 27, when the former CEO Trulee Karahashi was dismissed. Although the SPJA does not state this, Karahashi informed ANN that she did not voluntarily leave her position with the SPJA but was in fact "terminated" from the position. Karahashi became the SPJA's CEO in August 2007 after previously holding the position of interim CEO and chief financial officer. She had been involved with the SPJA and Anime Expo since 1996. Karahashi declined to provide further information regarding her dismissal.

Prior to Karahashi's appointment as CEO, the SPJA had been without a permanent CEO since September of 2005, when then-CEO Jennifer Pon resigned her post. During that time numerous people, including Karahashi herself, held the position of interim CEO. Perez joined the SPJA board of directors in October 2007.

The SPJA Board of Directors held its most recent open meeting on March 18.