Sony announced today that Jim Ryan, who has been president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) since 2019, will retire in March 2024, after working at Sony for nearly three decades.
Sony SIE announced that Hiroki Totoki (Hiroki Toki), President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sony Group of Companies, will assume the role of Chairman of SIE from October 2023 in order to support Mr Ryan’s retirement transition.
Effective April 1, 2024, Hiroki Totoki will be appointed as interim CEO of SIE while continuing in his current role at Sony Group companies. Working closely with Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman and CEO of the Sony Group of Companies, and SIE’s management team, Yuki Tokaji will help define the next chapter of PlayStation’s future, including his succession as CEO of SIE.
▲ Jim Ryan introduces PS5 video screenshot
The official announcement was that Jim Ryan joined Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe’s legal entity, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (SIEE, then Sony Computer Entertainment Europe), in 1994. Since then, he has held a number of senior positions at the company, including President of SIEE, Head of Global Sales and Marketing for SIE and Vice President of SIE since January 2018, before being appointed President and CEO of SIE.
Kenichiro Yoshida said, “Jim Ryan has been an inspirational leader throughout our tenure, and especially so in overseeing the launch of PlayStation 5. The extraordinary accomplishments of the entire SIE team have been steadily building, and PlayStation 5 is poised to be SIE’s most successful console to date. I am very grateful to Jim for all of his accomplishments. Given the importance of the gaming and network services businesses, I respect Jim’s decision to end his long career at Sony. We have finalized our new management structure after thorough discussions. Our goal is to realize further growth and development of the Sony Group by bringing even greater success to the gaming and network services business.”
Jim Ryan said, “I have decided to retire from SIE in March 2024 after 30 years at Sony. I am delighted to have the opportunity to do what I love at a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners. But I am finding it increasingly difficult to reconcile life in Europe and work in North America. I’m honoured to have been a part of products that have impacted the lives of millions of people around the world; PlayStation will always be a part of my life, and I’m more optimistic than ever about SIE’s future. I want to thank Mr. Yoshida for his confidence in me.”
Hiroki Tokashi said, “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Jim Ryan for his outstanding achievements and contributions during his 30-year career at Sony, including the tremendous success of launching PlayStation 5. The PlayStation business managed by SIE is an important part of the Sony Group, and I will work closely with Jim and the senior management team I will work closely with Jim and the senior management team to ensure our continued success and further growth. I also look forward to working with everyone at SIE and its business partners to create an exciting future for PlayStation and the games industry.”
