He first began with the company by working with HAL (game development studio who are closely affiliated with Nintendo) during 1983 after graduating with a degree in Computer Science. He would later become president of HAL in 1993. He was responsible for creating games the likes of Kirby and EarthBound during his time with HAL. Later on he took a position at Nintendo in 2000 in corporate, and just 2 years later in 2002 became Nintendo's fourth president. He also helped work on popular franchises such as Mario, Zelda, and Animal Crossing.
This news is a tremendous loss to Nintendo fans. A highly respect CEO who even cut his pay in 2014 after the Wii U's poor sales. He was a perfect fit for Nintendo.
"On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart I am a gamer." - Satoru Iwata GDC 2005
Even if you do not like Nintendo take a moment to appreciate that Iwata was not just a CEO. He loved games just as much as any of us and was never afraid to laugh or crack cheesy Nintendo jokes. He respected the industry a move few CEO's don't make.
Rest in peace Iwata.
Source:
Nintendo.co