Kaz Hirai Steps Down as President and CEO of Sony
Sony has money on its mind.
As Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai decides to step down as president and CEO of Sony, he’s placed CFO Kenichiro Yoshida as his successor. Having worked under Hirai for years, Yoshida was instrumental in financially recovering the company from years of losses within the consumer-electronics industry. Known for the cold, calculated decisions in his strategies, Yoshida will take the helm at what he describes a “crucial juncture” for Sony. Hirai will remain with Sony, acting as a chairman on the board of directors, and focus on its Picture Division. While they have experienced much recent success through Spider-Man: Homecoming, Jumanji, and Baby Driver, it may be difficult to overlook the films that were less financially successful at the box office.
While there’s a full slate of films in production — including Venom and the forthcoming spider-verse movies — industry insiders expect some big changes will be made very soon, believing that Sony could even be pivoting away from the entertainment industry. With Yoshida running the show, it would not be surprising if Sony distanced itself from the volatility of Hollywood, especially after the leaked email fiasco Amy Pascal from 2015. What we do know is that he favors the consumer-electronics industry, and is very likely to focus on Sony’s strengths to maximize profits.
