Tom Kalinske
Industry leader
Class of 2022 Inductee
Thomas Kalinske worked for Mattel (1972–1987), Matchbox (1987-1990), Sega of America (1990–1996) and LeapFrog (1997–2006).
While Kalinske was CEO of Sega of America, the company grew from $72 million to more than $1.5 billion and the market value of Sega grew from less than $2 billion to more than $5 billion.
His aggressive marketing decisions during his time at Sega, such as price drops, ads such as “Sega Does what Nintendon’t” and the famous “Sega Scream” TV campaign, are often cited as key elements in the success of the Sega Genesis.
Wikipedia:
Major Accomplishments:
Inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 1997.
Received a Lifetime Achievement award from People of Play in 2021.
2022 IVGHOF Ceremony Acceptance Speech:
IVGHOF Trading Card:
