24 Years Later, Bruno Bonnell Leaves Atari / Infogrames

After spending half his life as the big boss of Infogrames - a company he founded 24 years ago in France, Bruno Bonnell has suddenly left the group this month. Prior to his departure, Bonnell was the Chairman, CEO and Director of Infogrames Entertainment, and he also held top positions within the Atari group (a part of the Infogrames corporation). The news comes just days after the company successfully completed the implementation of a global debt restructuring plan over the last years, after it went through some rather tough financial times (which we're not sure are over just yet...).

Today's announcement bares the following farewell message from Bonnell:

"It is with understandable emotions, but also reassured about its future, that I leave Infogrames after 24 years spent to build this group with the support of all its teams. Together, we have been able to show its strength and capacity to innovate, even in the worst situations. Time for business developers has logically come, after the entrepreneurial period. It's now time for Infogrames to conquer and progress on a market as promising as interactive entertainment business."

In the following period, Infogrames will launch "new dynamics of change for the group", with Patrick Leleu as the company's new Chairman and CEO. Even though Leleu was only appointed yesterday, he was already a director of Infogrames since January 2007. And prior to joining the French group, he used to be the CEO of Bouygues Telecom (between 1994 and 2001), and then Chairman and CEO of cable network operator Noos (between 2001 and 2005).

As the new big boss of Infogrames, Patrick Leleu's first statement was rather brief:

"I want to thank the Board to put its trust in me. I am convinced that Infogrames holds the assets, talents and teams to get back into the industrial competition and recover its dynamics of growth."

Those of you still hoping to play the next chapter in the Alone in the Dark horror adventure series (or any of Atari's other franchises) would better pray that this guy doesn't screw up!

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)