Sony's Kaz Hirai is retiring
Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai has announced his retirement from the Sony corporation.
Kaz Hirai stepped down as Sony CEO in April last year to assume the role of company chairman. The veteran executive has now confirmed he'll be retiring, effective June 18.
Hirai will continue to offer counsel to the company's management team, should they request it, as a senior adviser. Kenichiro Yoshida, who replaced Hirai as Sony CEO last year, will continue to serve in that role.
"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," Hirai said in a statement.
"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."
Kaz Hirai served as Sony CEO for six years, since replacing Howard Stringer in 2012. Before that, he was the head of the company's gaming and PlayStation division for six years, taking over from Ken Kutaragi.