Short answers, pulled from the story.
Shinji Hashimoto is a Japanese game producer born in 1958 who spent the bulk of his career at Square Enix. He served as brand manager for the Final Fantasy series for more than a decade, co-created the Kingdom Hearts series, and holds credits on titles including Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts II, and the Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Shinji Hashimoto has stated that Kingdom Hearts was conceived during an elevator conversation between himself and a Disney executive while Square and Disney were sharing a building in Tokyo. That chance exchange led to the crossover franchise between Square Enix and Disney.
Hashimoto retired from his duties at Square Enix on the 31st of May 2022. He had previously stepped down from his role as executive director and Final Fantasy brand manager in May 2021, moving first into a Corporate Advisor position at Square Enix Holdings.
At E3 2008, Hashimoto said Square Enix was aware that fans wanted a Final Fantasy VII remake but that the company was very busy making other titles first. The remake did not ship until 2020, more than a decade after that statement.
Before joining Squaresoft in 1995, Hashimoto worked at the Japanese toy company Bandai. His early credits include a marketing role on Kidō Senshi Z-Gundam: Hot Scramble in 1986 and producer credits on Famicom Jump and Dragon Ball Z titles.
At Square Enix, Hashimoto served as Final Fantasy series brand manager for over a decade, executive officer on the board of directors, Head of Business Division 3 for six years, and corporate executive of the 1st Production Department for its entire existence.