Jim Ryan, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment and head of all things PlayStation, is set to retire in March.
“After 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024,” Ryan said in a company post detailing a “New Management Structure of Sony Interactive Entertainment”.
In a subsequent blog post, Ryan briefly expanded upon into his decision.
“I did not take this decision lightly and I absolutely love SIE and our community,” he explained, “but of late I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to strike the right balance between having my home in the UK and my job in the United States”.
Jim Ryan has been with Sony’s gaming division since just before the release of the first PlayStation console, when he joined the company’s European branch. He’s been in his current role as CEO of SIE since 2019.
“From my beginning in Europe, it was clear that Sony had built something truly special,” said Ryan. “Generations later I am still amazed by the excitement and passion of the PlayStation community.”
Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida cites “overseeing the launch of PlayStation 5 in the midst of the global COVID pandemic” as Ryan’s defining achievement. Despite severe global supply constraints, it’s on course to become the company’s biggest console release ever, with more than 40 million PS5 units sold so far.
As of April 1, 2024, Sony Group Corporation COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki will be appointed Interim CEO of SIE. That’s a big name to fill a vital role for the company.
