Kaz Hirai

Kaz Hirai
Hirai at the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona
Born (1960-12-22) December 22, 1960 (age 63)[1]
Tokyo, Japan
Alma materInternational Christian University

Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai (平井 一夫, Hirai Kazuo, born December 22, 1960) is a Japanese businessman. He is best known as the former chairman of Sony Corporation, serving from April 2018 to June 2019, as well as president and CEO from April 2012 to April 2018. He also served as a board member of Sony Computer Entertainment and chairman and co-CEO of Sony Entertainment. He was noted by Entertainment Weekly as one of the most powerful executives in the entertainment industry.[2] He led the Sony Computer Entertainment division between 2007 and 2012, and then became president and CEO of Sony in April 2012. Through his tenure as CEO, Sony experienced a resurgence during the 2010s.[3][4] In 2018, Hirai stepped down as president and CEO, becoming chairman of Sony Corporation.[5][6][7] He fully retired from Sony in June 2019, and retired from his role as a senior adviser to the company in June 2024.

  1. ^ Sony Corporation. "Form 20F (Annual Report) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  2. ^ Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. "Kaz Hirai, President and Chief Executive Officer". Retrieved November 30, 2006.
  3. ^ Mochizuki, Takashi (February 2, 2018). "Sony Chief Hands Over Reins After Resurgence". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  4. ^ "Kazuo Hirai, the former CEO who led Sony's turnaround, is retiring". TechCrunch. March 28, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  5. ^ "Executive Appointments". Sony Corporation. February 1, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  6. ^ "Sony Establishes New Management Structure". Sony Corporation. March 27, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  7. ^ "Sony CEO Kaz Hirai will step aside on April 1st". Engadget. Retrieved February 2, 2018.