PlayStation head Jim Ryan is retiring
Jim Ryan, who has served as the president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment since 2019, has announced that he will step down from his role in October.
Ryan spent almost 30 years at PlayStation, joining in 1994, and becoming the head of global sales and marketing for the European side of the business in 2016.
He oversaw the launch of the PS5 which was hamstrung by the effects of the coronavirus crisis in 2020. Ryan was also vocally against the acquisition of Activision by Microsoft throughout those investigations into its possible impact on competition.
“Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) today announced that SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan has made the decision to retire in March 2024 after almost thirty years with the PlayStation business,” said Sony in a statement (via Bloomberg).
“To support Mr. Ryan in his transition, Sony Group Corporation President, COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki will assume the role of Chairman of SIE effective October 2023,” continued the company.
“Effective April 1, 2024, Mr. Totoki will be appointed Interim CEO of SIE while he continues his current role at Sony Group Corporation.”
In his own statement, Ryan explained how the balance of being in both Europe and North America for his personal and professional lives had placed a strain on him.
“I’ve relished the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners. But I’ve found it increasingly difficult to reconcile living in Europe and working in North America,” he said.
Lastly, he thanked Sony Group Corporation CEO Kenichiro Yoshida for his “trust” in him and guidance as “an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader”.
Before the constitutional right to abortion was officially overturned in the United States, Ryan allegedly sent an email to Sony employees to advise them to “respect differences of opinion” and then told them about his pet cats’ birthday celebrations.
In other gaming news, Guerrilla Games revealed Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition which is on its way to PC and PS5 in the future.
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Imogen Donovan
NME
