It’s the end of an era at PlayStation as longtime Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan announced he is choosing to retire after almost 30 years at the company.
Ryan has been the PlayStation boss since 1994 before the PlayStation console had even arrived and now the top spot is set to change hands. While we don’t know for certain who will wind up being the CEO of PlayStation long-term, we do have a name as to who will be taking over the position in the meantime.
That name is Hiroki Totoki. Unless you’re truly deep into the business of PlayStation and its parent company Sony, then you’ve probably not heard this name before.
Who is Hiroki Totoki?
While his roots with PlayStation don’t run as deep as those of Jim Ryan, Hiroki Totoki has a rich history with Sony, and it’s no real surprise he’s been picked to fill the space as CEO, at least in the interim.
Totoki is not only set to be the chairman and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, but he is currently the COO and CFO of Sony Group Corporation. Yeah, he’s a big deal amongst the Sony executive board. This tenure at the company stems back to 1987 well before the launch of PlayStation.
When he assumes the role of CEO, the goal continues to remain the same, “continued success and future growth,” Totoki said in a statement regarding Ryan’s retirement.
“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.
“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.”
Given how much he has on his plate, we don’t expect Totoki to be CEO of PlayStation long. Instead, his interim tenure will be concluded with someone new taking the mantle from Jim Ryan. Right now, there is no indication of who that will be.
Totoki will take over as interim CEO in April 2024.
