Sony Corporation and Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (“SIE”) announced that John (Tsuyoshi) Kodera, currently Deputy President of SIE, has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, SIE, with immediate effect. Current President and Global CEO Andrew House will transition from operational management of SIE, but will remain with SIE as Chairman through the year to ensure a smooth transition. Mr. Kodera has also been appointed Representative Director and President of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., SIE’s Japan-based legal entity, with immediate effect, while Mr. House has become Director and Chairman, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Mr. Kodera will assume overall operational responsibility for SIE including its game and network services businesses globally, and will report directly to Kazuo Hirai, President and CEO, Sony Corporation.
In conjunction with the management transition at SIE, Mr. House is stepping down from his role as EVP, Corporate Executive Officer of Sony Corporation, also effective immediately. Mr. Kodera will continue his role as a Business Executive of Sony Corporation.
“When I passed the baton of leadership for Sony Computer Entertainment to Andrew House in 2011, I was confident that I was leaving the PlayStation business in the best possible hands, and so it has proved. I’m extremely grateful to Andy for the great contribution he has made to evolving the PlayStation business, and firmly positioning it as one of the drivers of our future growth. Andy and I go back more than 20 years and spent much of this time together, dedicating ourselves to ensuring the success of the PlayStation business. I would like to thank Andy for his contribution over many years, and wish him every success in the future,” said Kazuo Hirai, President and CEO, Sony Corporation. “John Kodera has led Sony’s network service business since 2013 and played a pivotal role in its growth. He is a truly global executive, possessing strategic understanding, strength of conviction and outstanding leadership capabilities.
Since his appointment as Deputy President of SIE last year, alongside Andy he has also been responsible for the company’s overall business strategy and product planning. With the significance of network services increasing across the entire Sony Group, I believe that John is ideally equipped to build on the foundations Andy has left in place, and drive Sony’s game and network services business to further growth and excitement going forward.”
“I’m tremendously proud of what we’ve built with PlayStation and Sony Interactive Entertainment: entertaining millions globally with the best in games and creating a fully fledged digital entertainment company. PlayStation has been a huge part of my life for more than 20 years but with the business having achieved record-breaking success, now seemed to be the right time for me to pursue new challenges. I shall always treasure the friendships and people that have made SIE such a wonderful place to work. I’m also grateful to PlayStation fans and gamers around the world for their loyalty and support. John and the team at SIE are world-class and I know the future of PlayStation is very bright,” said Mr. House.
“It’s a great honor to take on the role of President and CEO, SIE, and I’m very grateful to Kaz and Andy for the trust and faith they have shown in me. I intend to build on the amazing progress Andy has made enhancing the PlayStation brand and expanding the game and network services business, and will strive to further strengthen the unique value proposition we are able to offer via the PlayStation platform. I look forward to working together with the SIE team, and everyone across the Sony Group, to continue to strengthen relations with our business partners, and provide the best possible interactive entertainment experiences, that only PlayStation can deliver.” said Mr. Kodera.
Mr. House began his 27-year career at Sony in 1990, where he first served in corporate communications at Sony headquarters. In 1995, he moved to marketing and communications at Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (“SCE”), where he contributed to the launch of the first PlayStation. After performing several key roles at both Sony Corporation and SCE, including Chief Marketing Officer of Sony Corporation, and President and CEO of SCE Europe Limited, in 2011 Mr. House was appointed President and Group CEO of SCE, assuming overall responsibility for the PlayStation business worldwide. Mr. House led the PlayStation business for six years, driving the strategy and launch of PlayStation 4, which has since become the fastest-growing platform in PlayStation history, and is set to reach cumulative sales of 78 million units this fiscal year.
Mr. House redefined Sony’s network services strategy, centering it around a strengthened PlayStation™Network (PSNSM) – currently with more than 70 million monthly active users and a suite of recurring revenue services, including PlayStation®Plus. He oversaw the launch of the world’s first console streaming game service with PlayStation™Now and the interactive live TV service, PlayStation™Vue. In 2016 Mr. House established Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC – bringing together SCE and Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (SNEI). Mr. House also oversaw the development and launch of PlayStation®VR (PS VR). He has grown the Game and Network Services segment into one of the key profit drivers for the Sony Group.
Mr. Kodera joined Sony Corporation in 1992, where he was first assigned to planning and control within Sony’s portable audio business. In 1998 he was transferred to Sony Electronics Inc. in the U.S., where he was initially responsible for planning and control of various portable and mobile products, before subsequently being appointed VP of product management for IT products such as PCs. In 2010 he assumed the role of SVP, Corporate Strategy, at the newly established Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (SNEI), and in 2013 was appointed President, SNEI. Since then, Mr. Kodera has engaged in the launch and the enhancement of an array of network services via the PSNSM platform. These have included PlayStation®Store, which sells the latest game titles, movies and TV shows; the PlayStation®Plus subscription service offering members exclusive benefits and content; and the PlayStation™Now online game streaming service.
Mr. Kodera has also been integral to the launch of several other ground-breaking network services that have greatly enriched the PlayStation experience, including the PlayStation™Vue cloud-based TV service, PlayStation®Video content distribution service, and PlayStation™Music, which leverages a global strategic partnership with Spotify to deliver a best-in-class digital music experience on PSNSM. Mr. Kodera has contributed significantly to growing this recurring revenue business. Furthermore, since his appointment as Deputy President of SIE last year, he has worked closely with Mr. House on the overall management of the game and network services business including product development, business strategy and system and network engineering.