The big boss of PlayStation has announced he will soon retire after three decades of dedicated service.
Sony has announced PlayStation honcho Jim Ryan will step down in March next year and will officially take retirement after nearly 30 years with the company.
Mr Ryan said of the announcement that he has “relished the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company” and will step back from his roles as the president and the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment in the new year.
He took over the PlayStation helm in February 2019.
He said: “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 (Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida) for placing so much trust in me and being an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader.”
The shock announcement came on Thursday, September 28, and gaming fans were told that a replacement for the PlayStation department had already been found.
The group will be recruiting from within, with Hiroki Totoki taking on the role of Sony Interactive Entertainment chairman from October this year to allow for a smooth transition between him fully taking over and Mr Ryan’s last working day at the company.
Mr Totoki is already well versed in the world of Sony, and is already the Sony Group Corporation president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer — it is expected he will continue those roles alongside his new one.
Sony CEO Mr Yoshida paid tribute to Mr Ryan in the statement and thanked him for all of the “achievements” he had notched during his impressive years with the company.
He said: “I’m immensely grateful to Jim for all his achievements. Respecting Jim’s decision to finish his long career at Sony leaves me with an important decision regarding his succession given the significance of the Game & Network Services business.
“We have discussed intensively and have determined the new management structure. We aim to achieve Sony Group’s further evolution and growth through bringing even greater success to the Game & Network Services Business.”
