Jim Ryan will retire next spring, and Hiroki Totoki will take over as interim CEO while retaining his current position at Sony Group.

September 28, 2023, Tokyo / September 27, San Mateo, California – Sony Group Corporation and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) today announced that SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan has decided that in March 2024, nearly thirty retires after years of PlayStation activities. To support Jim Ryan in the transition, Sony Group Corporation President, COO and Chief Financial Officer, Hiroki Totoki, will assume the role of SIE President beginning in October 2023. Hiroki Totoki will serve as interim CEO of SIE effective April 1, 2024, while continuing in his current position at Sony Group Corporation. Mr. Totoki will work closely with Sony Group Corporation President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida and SIE management to help define the next chapter of PlayStation’s future, including his succession as SIE CEO.

Jim Ryan joined Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Europe-based 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 of SIE, and Vice President of SIE since January 2018, before being named President and CEO of SIE.

Kenichiro Yoshida speaking

“Jim Ryan has been an inspirational leader throughout his time with us, most notably overseeing the launch of PlayStation 5 amid the global COVID pandemic. We have continued to build on the extraordinary results achieved by the entire SIE team, and PlayStation 5 is well on its way to becoming SIE’s most successful console to date. I am immensely grateful to Jim for all his achievements. While respecting Jim’s decision to end his long career at Sony, I am faced with an important decision regarding succession, given that Game & to the importance of the Network Services business. We discussed intensively and defined the new management structure. Our goal is to further the development and growth of the Sony Group through Game & Let’s make it happen by achieving even greater success in the Network Services business.”

Speaking of Jim Ryan

“After 30 years, I have decided to retire from SIE in March 2024. I enjoyed the opportunity to do a job that I love at a very special company, where I get to work with great people and incredible partners. But I found it increasingly difficult to reconcile living in Europe and working in North America. I leave with the privilege of having worked on products that have touched the lives of millions worldwide; PlayStation will always be a part of my life and I’m more optimistic than ever about the future of SIE. I would like to thank Yoshida-san for placing so much trust in me and for being an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader.”

Hiroki Totoki’s speech

“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Jim Ryan for his outstanding achievements and contributions during his 30-year career at Sony, including the great success of the PlayStation 5 launch. The PlayStation business, controlled by SIE, is an essential part of the entire business portfolio of the Sony Group. I will work closely with Jim and the senior management team to ensure continued success and continued growth. I also look forward to working with SIE and its business partners to create an exciting future for PlayStation and the gaming industry.”

Source: Press release