Sony names two PlayStation CEOs to replace Jim Ryan

Sony Interactive Entertainment has named Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino as the new joint CEOs of the PlayStation business, succeeding Jim Ryan from June 1, 2024.

Hulst, who was previously head of PlayStation Studios and Guerrilla Games, will become CEO of the new Studio Business Group, responsible for all PlayStation game content, as well as bringing its franchises to new mediums such as film and television.

Nishino, who was previously SVP of SIE’s Platform Experience Group, will be appointed CEO of SIE’s Platform Business Group, which will see him continue to be responsible for technology, products, services, and platform experience, as well as third party publisher and developer relations and commercial operations, including sales and marketing of hardware, services, and peripherals.

Hiroki Totoki, who has been serving as interim CEO of SIE since Jim Ryan’s departure, will serve as Chairman of SIE in addition to his role as President, COO and CFO of Sony Group Corporation. Nishino and Hulst will report to Totoki and intend to collaborate closely, Sony said.

“Sony Interactive Entertainment is a dynamic and growing business that delivers incredible entertainment experiences through the connection of content and technology,” said interim CEO Totoki.

“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.”

Nishino commented: “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.

“I am honored 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 added: “I am thrilled to lead the studio business group and continue to build on our success with PlayStation 5, while preparing for the future.”

“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.”

Sony announced last September that Jim Ryan – who had been SIE’s CEO since 2019 – had made the decision to retire in March 2024 after almost thirty years with the PlayStation business.

In his own statement, Ryan cited difficulties juggling his home life in Europe and work responsibilities in North America.

In February, during a Q&A session following Sony’s latest financial results briefing, interim CEO Totoki said he wanted Sony to be “aggressive” when it comes to improving its gaming division’s profit margins, which he says can partly be achieved with a greater focus on bringing first-party games to PC.

This was followed by news that the gaming division had made what it called the “extremely hard decision” to reduce its overall headcount by “about 8% or about 900 people”, which included the closure of its long-running London studio.

PlayStation Studios boss Hulst said at the time that the platform holder was “reevaluating how we operate”, and that the layoffs had resulted in the cancellation of unnamed game projects.