Sony Interactive Entertainment announced some unexpected news today: Jim Ryanwho held the role of CEO of the PlayStation division since 2019, will leave his position starting from October 2023. In his place will come Hiroki Totokicurrently Chief Operating Officer of Sony Corporation, who will assume the role of interim CEO until April 1, 2024, when he will officially become the Operating President of SIE PlayStation.
This is a change at the top that surprised many fans and professionals, given that Jim Ryan was considered one of the most representative faces of the PlayStation brand. But who is Hiroki Totoki, his successor?
The profile of Hiroki Totoki, the new CEO of PlayStation
Unlike Ryan, Totoki does not have long experience in the video game industry, but he is an experienced manager which contributed to Sony’s economic growth in various areas.
In fact Totoki has been part of the Sony group since 1987 and held various management roles, primarily responsible for the creation and development of the Sony Bank financial division and other Sony subsidiaries. According to Pushsquare, Totoki is “a growth-obsessed businessman” who aims to maximize profits and reduce costs.
With the appointment of Totoki, Sony seems to want to make a change in the management of its PlayStation division, perhaps to better face the competition from Microsoft and Nintendo in the video game market. It remains to be seen how this change at the top will influence PlayStation’s strategies and policies in the coming years.