One year after passing Sony’s CEO baton to Kenichiro Yoshida, Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai will also relinquish the chairmanship of the tech and entertainment giant.
Hirai, who started out in Sony Music marketing and made his bones leading the company’s successful PlayStation gaming business, took the executive reins following the troubled tenure of Sir Howard Stringer.
To help reestablish Sony’s sovereignty, Hirai, under his “One Sony” initiative, worked towards breaking down the business silos that prevented the conglomerate from effectively leveraging its film, gaming and CE operations.
See: Hirai Pursuing ‘One Sony’ Goal
But over the next two years Sony would ultimately shed its Vaio PC unit and spin off its vaunted TV and A/V businesses in pursuit of profits over market share.
Hirai’s 35-year ride with Sony will conclude at a June 18 shareholders meeting, where Shuzo Sumi, chairman of insurance holding company Tokio Marine Group, is expected to succeed him as chairman.
Related: Kaz Delivers Emotional Message
