Hello Kitty gets new boss after 60 years

Founder Shintaro Tsuji, 92, steps down and hands control of struggling firm to grandson

The founder of the firm behind Hello Kitty is stepping down at the age of 92 and handing the reins to his grandson, the first change in leadership in the company's six-decade history.

Tokyo-based Sanrio, which created the ubiquitous character in 1974, announced on Friday that Shintaro Tsuji would retire as president and pass control of the company to its senior managing director, Tomokuni Tsuji.