PlayStation Names Hideaki Nishino and Hermen Hulst as New CEOs
Sony Group Corporation and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the company behind PlayStation, has announced a leadership change effective on June 1, 2024. Hideaki Nishino will be appointed CEO of SIE’s Platform Business Group, and Hermen Hulst will be appointed CEO of SIE’s Studio Business Group.
Hiroki Totoki, who has served as interim CEO of SIE since former CEO Jim Ryan stepped down in March, will serve as Chairman of SIE in addition to his role as President, COO and CFO of Sony Group Corporation.
Nishino and Hulst will report to Totoki.
In a statement, Totoki explained, “Sony Interactive Entertainment is a dynamic and growing business that delivers incredible entertainment experiences through the connection of content and technology. These two leaders will have clear responsibilities and will manage strategic direction to ensure the focus remains on deepening engagement with existing PlayStation users and expanding experiences to new audiences.”
Nishino’s current role at the company is as SVP, Platform Experience Group, which “pushes the boundaries of play in many ways, including the innovations in PlayStation 5, the immersiveness of PlayStation VR2, and connecting millions of people on PlayStation Network.”
“We will continue to connect players and creators through world-class products, services, and technology. We always strive to grow our community even bigger with innovation in every area at Sony Interactive Entertainment,” Nishino said. “I am honored to be appointed such an important role alongside Hermen. By working more closely together, we will be positioned to build incredible experiences for an ever-expanding audience now and in the future.”
As the company’s SVP and Head of PlayStation Studios, Hulst’s responsibilities have included developing content for PCs and PlayStation consoles and “bringing video game IP to new mediums such as film and television through PlayStation Productions.”
Hulst said, “I am thrilled to lead the studio business group and continue to build on our success with PlayStation 5, while preparing for the future. The video game industry is one of the largest entertainment industries in the world and has been built on the marriage of content and technology, and I look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of play and entertainment.”
Ryan announced his retirement in September 2023 after 30 years with Sony. He joined what was then known as the Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in 1994, just before the first PlayStation was released. Ryan was named president and CEO in 2018.
“I’ve relished the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners,” Ryan said. “But I’ve found it increasingly difficult to reconcile living in Europe and working in North America. I will leave having been privileged to work on products that have touched millions of lives across the world; PlayStation will always be part of my life, and I feel more optimistic than ever about the future of SIE.”
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