Sony's Totoki takes CEO role, cementing leadership position

Sony Group President Hiroki Totoki will add the CEO role from April 1, while incumbent Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida will remain as chairman, the entertainment and technology conglomerate said on Wednesday.

The moves cement the leadership position of Totoki, who assumed the president's post in 2023 and has also served as finance chief of the company.

Sony, once famous for its consumer electronics such as the Walkman, is aiming to strengthen its position in entertainment, with Yoshida credited with helping to have engineered the shift.

Totoki already helms Sony's earnings briefings and took the role of chairman of the key gaming unit behind the PlayStation 5 console as it took steps to improve margins.

"(Totoki) spearheaded growth strategies for the Sony Group, such as our investments in content IP and semiconductors, and is a leader capable of shaping our vision and strategy for future growth," Yoshida said in a company statement.

Lin Tao will become the first woman to serve as chief financial officer, after serving as an executive at the games business, with Hideaki Nishino to become CEO of that unit after serving as head of the technology side of the business.