Kaz Hirai will no longer be the CEO of Sony as he will be stepping down from the role this April. Hirai was CEO since 2012 and saw developments and launches of the PS4, PS4 Pro, several movies and many more things that Sony does.
Sony made the big announcement on its official website earlier today. Hirai’s successor will be Kenichiro Yoshida who will overtake the role on April 1st, 2018. No, this is not an April Fool’s joke…
Hirai commented: “Ever since my appointment as President and CEO in April 2012, I have stated that my mission is to ensure Sony continues to be a company that provides customers with kando – to move them emotionally – and inspires and fulfills their curiosity. To this end, I have dedicated myself to transforming the company and enhancing its profitability, and am very proud that now, in the third and final year of our current mid-range corporate plan, we are expecting to exceed our financial targets. And it excites me to hear more and more people enthuse that Sony is back again. As the company approaches a crucial juncture, when we will embark on a new mid-range plan, I consider this to be the ideal time to pass the baton of leadership to new management, for the future of Sony and also for myself to embark on a new chapter in my life. My successor, Kenichiro Yoshida, has supported me closely since returning to Sony in December 2013 , contributing extensively beyond his remit as CFO and acting as valuable confidant and business partner, as we took on the challenge of transforming Sony together. Mr. Yoshida combines a deeply strategic mindset with a relentless determination to achieve defined targets, and the ability to take a global viewpoint. I believe he possesses the breadth of experience and perspective, as well as the unwavering leadership qualities required to manage Sony’s diverse array of businesses, and as such is the ideal person to drive the company forward into the future. As Chairman, I will of course offer my full support to Mr. Yoshida and the new management team, and do all I can to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure their future success.”
The Sony brand is still going strong thanks to the big success of the PS4 console. The film division is not doing too badly either as in 2017, Sony released the popular films of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and worked with Marvel on Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Yoshida will have a big 2018 ahead of them with lots of PS4 exclusives out this year including God of War, Spider-Man and more. The film division will be releasing the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse animated movie plus the long awaited Venom film starring Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock.