Sony Group revealed Wednesday that current president Hiroki Totoki will be elevated to the position of CEO, starting April 1, in the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant’s first major leadership change in seven years. Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida will continue in the sole role of chairman.
Sony suggested that the promotion of Totoki will continue to accelerate its recent strategy of focussing on entertainment and leveraging IP for growth.
“My predecessors as CEO, Kazuo Hirai and Kenichiro Yoshida, have greatly enhanced Sony’s value, and I will do my utmost to further build on this success and pass on an even better Sony to the next generation,” Totoki said in a a statement. “At our corporate strategy meeting in May of last year, we newly announced our ‘Creative Entertainment Vision,’ which outlines where we want Sony to be in 10 years, with our purpose as the guiding principle. Our greatest driver in achieving this is the diversity of our businesses and people, which is part of Sony’s DNA, and our boundary spanners that transcend organizational barriers and organically connect that diversity to create new value.”
Totoki was named president of Sony in April 2023. He has also been serving as the electronic and entertainment giant’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
Other changes unveiled by Sony include the appointment of Hideaki Nishino as sole CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, the unit that makes PlayStation, and the naming of Lin Tao as the first female CFO in the company’s 80-plus year history. Tao is a 20-year company veteran and previously served as senior VP of finance, corporate strategy and development for Sony Interactive Entertainment. Nishino will co-serve as Sony’s CEO of the Platform Business Group and CEO of the Studio Business Group. Shinji Sashida, meanwhile, was named head of the Imaging and Sensing Solutions division, a focus area for the hardware arm of the company.
The shakeup in Tokyo was mirrored earlier this month stateside when Ravi Ahuja took as CEO of Hollywood studio Sony Pictures Entertainment from Tony Vinciquerra.
In what now appears to have been a preview of his coming leadership at the helm, Totoki led Sony’s high-profile presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada earlier this month. During the trade show, Sony revealed that investments in Japanese anime would become a new pillar of its growth strategy, as the company seeks to leverage its IP and production capabilities across entertainment, music and gaming.
“Anime is a global phenomenon with a passionate community,” Totoki told THR at the time. “Sony is committed to enriching the fan experience, by transforming fan-favorite stories into anime and bringing them to a worldwide audience.”
Among other product updates and plans, Sony also revealed at CES that its anime units Crunchyroll and Aniplex would be collaborating on a series adaptation of the blockbuster PlayStation samurai adventure game Ghost of Tsushima. A feature film adaptation of the property is also under development at Sony Pictures. The adaptations follow related cross-platform hits like the HBO series The Last of Us, based on the hit PlayStation games.
Deepening its access to such IP, Sony spent $320 million to increase its stake to 10 percent in Kadokawa, one of Japan’s leading producers of manga, anime and games, including the hit Elden Ring franchise.
“Totoki has been a key member of the management team ever since I became president and CEO in April 2018. He spearheaded growth strategies for the Sony Group, such as our investments in content IP and semiconductors, and is a leader capable of shaping our vision and strategy for future growth,” said outgoing Sony CEO Yoshida on Wednesday. “Going forward, I will support Totoki as he leads his new management team.”
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