Jim Ryan, the president & CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, is to officially be stepping down from his role at the PlayStation firm come March 2024. Ryan has been part of the Sony group for more than two decades since 1994 with his latest position as president & CEO appointed to him in January 2018. Ryan confirms he is to retire from the role rather than stepping down to other operations.
Instead, Ryan once he is gone from the role is to be replaced by current CFO & COO Hiroki Totoki. Next month in October 2023, Totoki will be appointed chairman for Sony Interactive Entertainment as he fulfills the remaining time as his current position. Additionally, Sony Group CEO Kenichiro Yoshida is to work with Totoki in structuring “the next chapter of PlayStation’s future.”
You can read the full statement from Jim Ryan below:
After 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024. I’ve relished the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners. But I’ve found it increasingly difficult to reconcile living in Europe and working in North America.
I will leave having been privileged to work on products that have touched millions of lives across the world; PlayStation will always be part of my life, and I feel more optimistic than ever about the future of SIE. I want to thank Yoshida-san for placing so much trust in me and being an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Jim Ryan for his outstanding achievements and contributions over his 30-year career at Sony, including the great success of launching the PlayStation 5. The PlayStation business managed by SIE is an essential part of Sony Group’s entire business portfolio,” Totoki shares in a comment on ryan’s retirement.
“I will work with Jim and the senior management team closely to ensure our continued success and further growth. I am also looking forward to creating the exciting future of PlayStation and the game industry together with everyone at SIE and its business partners.” The decision comes at a surprising time especially the height of the Activision Blizzard deal handled by Microsoft.
Recently, it appears that the Xbox firm could be nearing the finish line of the $70 billion acquisition. Previously, it was confirmed the lawsuit against Microsoft from the FTC ended in Xbox’s favor. Now, it is surely to be a sight how Sony Interactive Entertainment approaches the deal post-transaction with new leadership as well. You can read the initial report by heading here.
What is your opinion on Ryan’s officially departure from PlayStation?
Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment
