Sony CEO Kaz Hirai, who has been in the post for six years, is stepping down from this role at the end of March.
Hirai is still staying at Sony, shifting in the role of Chairman, while current CFO Kenichiro Yoshida will take his place.
In a statement made by Hirai, he said:
“Mr. Yoshida combines a deeply strategic mindset with a relentless determination to achieve defined targets, and the ability to take a global viewpoint. I believe he possesses the breadth of experience and perspective, as well as the unwavering leadership qualities required to manage Sony's diverse array of businesses, and as such is the ideal person to drive the company forward into the future. As Chairman, I will of course offer my full support to Mr. Yoshida and the new management team, and do all I can to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure their future success.”
Former leader of the PlayStation division, Hirai has done a fantastic job in his post as CEO. The latest reports show that PS4 has now sold 76.5 million, selling 9 million units in the last quarter of December 2017. With Sony PS4 sales standing at approximately 80 million, it's look like PS4 will surpass those figures.
The following graph, from Nyko analyst Daniel Ahmad, shows that current global shipments of PS1, PS2 and PS4, alongside Wii and Nintendo Switch. Looking at the chart, the PS4 is now tracking higher than the PS2 was at this point of its life-cycle.
New Sony CEO Yoshida plans to continue the upwards trend across all Sony divisions. In a statement, he said:
“Together with the outstanding talent we have across the Sony Group, I will aim to build on the business foundations established by Mr. Hirai, and execute further reform measures that enhance our competitiveness as a global enterprise, and enable us to realize long-term profit growth,” Yoshida says. “My first priority will be to finalize our next mid-range corporate plan starting in April, together with our immediate business plan for the fiscal year 2018, and then move ahead swiftly with implementation. This is a hugely exciting time at Sony as we look to our future, and together with my management team I intend to determine the best path for us to move forward, and devote my full effort to creating a better Sony that captures the imagination of our many stakeholders around the world.”
Sony's latest financial results for Q3 2017 have just been revealed. Year-on-year it shows that PS4 software sales have increased significantly by 16.2%