Having announced his pending retirement back in September 2023, Sony PlayStation has finally revealed who will take over the reins from president and CEO Jim Ryan. Starting June 1, 2024, Hideaki Nishino will take over as CEO of SIE’s Platform Business Group, while Hermen Hulst will assume the position of CEO of SIE’s Studio Business Group.
Jim Ryan, who has been the president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) since 2019, was replaced by Hiroki Totoki as interim CEO after his departure in March of this year. Totoki will serve as the chairman of SIE in addition to his other responsibilities as the president, COO and CFO of Sony Group Corporation, and oversees both Nishino and Hulst.
“Sony Interactive Entertainment is a dynamic and growing business that delivers incredible entertainment experiences through the connection of content and technology,” Totoki said in a statement. “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.”
As the current senior vice president of the Platform Experience Group, Nishino leads the team that develops the “experiences and technology for PlayStation products and services.” Now, he will “continue to be responsible for technology, products, services, and platform experience” and “also oversee third-party publisher and developer relations and commercial operations, including sales and marketing of hardware, services, and peripherals.”
“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,” said Nishino. “I am honoured 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.”
Hulst, who is the senior vice president and head of PlayStation Studios, will continue to develop even more content for the PlayStation brand and bring the IPs to new mediums such as film and television via PlayStation Productions. His new role will see him be “responsible for the development, publishing, and business operations of SIE’s first party-content,” which is nothing new.
“I am thrilled to lead the studio business group and continue to build on our success with PlayStation 5, while preparing for the future,” said Hulst. “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.”
