Quote Originally Posted by Risvertasashi View Post
Uhm.... given the way he turned FFXIV around, which reportedly kept all of Squeenix in the black at a time when it wasn't doing too well, I really doubt this is anything but merit.

Also, there's a parallel reddit thread. According to them... it seems he is on the board, with a specific responsibility for development.
Like I said, it COULD be, and probably is the reason for the TYPE of promotion he received (usually they'd just add some appellation and a pay raise to his current title, but since he got put on the board, that's likely merit), but he was going to get *a* promotion one way or another just based on him having seniority.
There's a strong mentality in Japanese social structures that you shouldn't have to take orders from someone younger than you, so they'll often give token promotions to more senior employees just so they don't stand on equal footing with someone younger than them.