Short answers, pulled from the story.
Yoshinori Kitase directed Final Fantasy VI (1994), Chrono Trigger (1995), Final Fantasy VII (1997), Final Fantasy VIII (1999), and Final Fantasy X (2001). He is also known for producing Final Fantasy XIII and the Final Fantasy VII Remake series.
Yoshinori Kitase was hired by Square in March 1990. He had studied screenwriting and filmmaking at the Nihon University College of Art and had no software development background when he applied.
Kitase serves on the boards of directors of both Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix Holdings, and is executive officer of Creative Studios 1 and 2, with studio head responsibility for Creative Studio 2. He has also been the Final Fantasy series brand manager since 2021.
Kitase set Final Fantasy X in a Southeast Asian-inspired world in response to player requests for a simpler fantasy setting after VII and VIII. He chose to expand the definition of "fantasy" beyond medieval European settings rather than return to familiar territory.
Kitase has named Final Fantasy VII as his favorite game and its protagonist Cloud Strife as his favorite character.
Before directing major titles, Kitase spent roughly ten years as an "event scripter" at Square, controlling character movements, facial expressions, music transitions, and story sequencing. He compared the work to directing film actors.