Jim Ryan, who's been president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) since 2019, is retiring in March 2024, Sony announced today.
The news first broke via a post on X/Twitter from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier before Sony confirmed it with their own announcement shortly after.
Hiroki Totoki will assume the interim CEO role starting on April 1, 2024. The Sony Group Corporation president, COO, and CFO will also become chairman of SIE starting next month to "support Mr. Ryan in his transition," Sony said.
Additionally, Sony said Totoki will "work closely" with Sony Group Corporation Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida to navigate PlayStation's future, "including the succession of the SIE CEO role."
In a statement today, Ryan cited the difficulty of living in Europe while working in North America as a reason for the decision.
“After 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024," Ryan said in the statement. "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 Yoshida-san for placing so much trust in me and being an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader.”
The move, of course, is a massive shake-up in the industry, especially as the PlayStation division has been a lucrative one for Sony. In July, Sony said the PlayStation 5 has sold 40 million units since the console's November 2020 launch - tracking slightly behind the PS4, but still a major milestone.
Ryan started his career at PlayStation's European branch in 1994. He would go on to hold various leadership positions before replacing John Kodera as president and CEO of SIE in 2019.
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Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
