Last year we reported that Kaz Hirai had stepped down from his role as Sony CEO, with Kenichiro Yoshida taking over from him, but now Sony has revealed that Hirai is retiring from the company altogether.
Hirai has been Chairman and Director since he stepped down as CEO last year, and here's what he had to say about the decision:
"Since passing the baton of CEO to Yoshida-san last April, as Chairman of Sony, I have had the opportunity to both ensure a smooth transition and provide support to Sony's management. I am confident that everyone at Sony is fully aligned under Yoshida-san's strong leadership, and are ready to build an even brighter future for Sony. As such, I have decided to depart from Sony, which has been a part of my life for the past 35 years. I would like to extend my warmest gratitude to all our employees and stakeholders who have supported me throughout this journey."
Osamu Nagayama and Eikoh Harada are also scheduled to retire, and while Hirai will retire as Chairman on June 18, he'll still provide counsel as requested by the management team, acting as a Senior Advisor for Sony.
"Moving forward, under the supervision of our new Board of Directors, chaired by Sumi-san, we will continue to pursue management aimed at increasing Sony's mid- to long-term corporate value," Yoshida says. "Hirai-san and I have been working on management reforms together since December 2013. While he will be retiring from both Chairman and our Board of Directors, we look forward to his continuing high-level support to Sony's management that encompasses a breadth of diverse businesses."
Will you miss Hirai?