It was one year ago that Sony announced that Kaz Hirai would be stepping down as the company’s CEO and picking up the mantle of Director & Chairman. Now, almost a full year later, it was announced that Hirai will be retiring from the company completely in June of this year.
Kaz Hirai was most popularly known amongst gamers as the head of Sony Computer Entertainment, which is the division behind the PlayStation family of gaming consoles. Kenichiro Yoshida took over as the new CEO of Sony when Hirai stepped down. Yoshida was previously the company’s Chief Financial Officer.
Hirai issued an official statement which reads as follows:
“Since passing the baton of CEO to Yoshida-san last April, as Chairman of Sony, I have had the opportunity to both ensure a smooth transition and provide support to Sony’s management. I am confident that everyone at Sony is fully aligned under Yoshida-san’s strong leadership, and are ready to build an even brighter future for Sony. As such, I have decided to depart from Sony, which has been a part of my life for the past 35 years. I would like to extend my warmest gratitude to all our employees and stakeholders who have supported me throughout this journey.”
Despite his departure from the company, Hirai stated that he could always be reached for input and advice should the company seek it.
