Sony Corp. President and CEO, Kaz Hirai, has announced he will be stepping down on April 1st. He will become a Chairman while Kenichiro Yoshida will take over as CEO.
During Hirai’s tenure as CEO, Sony has seen a turnaround from substantial losses to record profits. Yoshida has been with Sony for over 30 years and is often credited for the recent turnaround of the company while in his current role of CFO since 2013. Sony stock rose two percent shortly after the announcement that Yoshida would be assuming the role of CEO.
Sony will be holding a press conference on Friday with both Hirai and Yoshida to further discuss the announcement.
Our Take
No matter what you think about Sony’s direction or financials, Hirai has been very good for Sony while also being a champion and personable face for the PlayStation division. He will certainly be missed and we certainly hope that Yoshida carries on the focus from Sony on PlayStation as a brand.
