Sony Group promotes finance chief Hiroki Totoki to CEO
TOKYO – Sony Group is shaking up its leadership ranks, handing the reins to Hiroki Totoki, its longtime finance chief, who will step into the role of CEO effective 1 April.
Kenichiro Yoshida, the outgoing chief executive, isn’t riding off into the sunset just yet – he’ll stay on as chairperson of the board, ensuring continuity at the top.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to have been entrusted with the important role of President and CEO. At the same time, I am looking forward to working as CEO with our approximately 110,000 employees to further evolve and grow Sony,” Totoki said.
Meanwhile, Sony is sharpening its focus on gaming, a cornerstone of its empire. Hideaki Nishino will helm the company’s crucial game and network services division, while Hermen Hulst takes the creative driver’s seat as CEO of the game studio business.
“As we hand the baton to Nishino and this exceptional leadership team, I am confident that SIE will reach new heights in the days ahead. After 30 years of delivering exceptional entertainment worldwide, this marks an exciting new chapter for SIE, highlighting its commitment to fostering creativity and building meaningful connections for millions of players,” Totoki added.
“I am delighted to welcome Lin Tao as my successor as CFO of Sony Group Corporation. Lin has been instrumental to our success at SIE, leading the finance and corporate strategy and development functions, and I look forward to working closely with her at Sony Group Corporation.”
Also Read: Slower employment growth, fewer layoffs in Singapore
Totoki as a trusted voice at Sony
The leadership shuffle is part of a broader strategy to future-proof Sony, ensuring it stays ahead in an industry where innovation is the name of the game.
Two years ago, Totoki began shouldering more of Sony’s leadership load, donning the hats of president and chief operating officer alongside his role as chief financial officer.
As the company’s financial voice on quarterly earnings calls, he has been the steady hand guiding Sony through choppy waters – most notably, the storm of supply chain disruptions that left its flagship PlayStation 5 in short supply.
Through it all, he has helped keep the company on course, ensuring it stays in the game even when the odds are stacked against it.
Also Read: Malaysia to expand wage increase programme
Bolstering Sony’s entertainment business
Nishino’s promotion to President and CEO signals the next stage in Sony Interactive Entertainment’s grand strategy – one designed to unlock deeper synergies across its gaming empire.
Nishino’s journey with Sony began in 2000, and over the years, he has steadily climbed the ranks to become a key architect of PlayStation’s ecosystem.
As CEO of the Platform Business Group at Sony Interactive Entertainment, he has been the mastermind behind the technology, products, services, and overall platform experience that define the PlayStation universe.
From shaping how gamers interact with Sony’s hardware to forging strong alliances with third-party publishers and developers, Nishino has had his fingerprints on nearly every aspect of the PlayStation business.
Before stepping into this role, he honed his expertise as Senior Vice President of the Platform Experience Group, where he helped lay the groundwork for the next era of gaming innovation.
“Technology and creativity are two of our biggest strengths as we continue to focus on developing experiences that deliver entertainment for everyone. We will continue to grow the PlayStation community in new ways, such as IP expansion, while also delivering the best in technology innovation,” Nishino said.
This move builds on the leadership shake-up announced in May 2024, when Nishino took the helm of the Platform Business Group on June 1, alongside Hermen Hulst, who was tapped to lead the Studio Business Group.
Hulst will continue steering Sony’s creative powerhouse, now reporting to Nishino as the company fine-tunes its leadership for the next level of play.