Kazuo Hirai

Kazuo " Kaz " Hirai (Japanese平井 一夫, Kazuo Hirai, born December 22, 1960 in the prefecture of Tokyo) is a Japanese manager and current manager of the Japanese multimedia company Sony. Hirai was instrumental in the success of the PlayStation game console and Sony's entry into the market for computer games.

Life

Hirai was born in 1960 as the son of a wealthy banker in Tokyo. He studied at the International Christian University in Tokyo and graduated in August 1984 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from. After graduating, he worked in the marketing of the music company CBS / Sony Inc., beginning in Japan, then in New York. On the first day at Sony he met his future wife. From this marriage two children were born.

In 1995 he moved to the U.S. subsidiary of Sony's games division, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ( SCEI ), the Sony Computer Entertainment America ( SCEA ).

Under the direction of SCEI chief Ken Kutaragi and with significant participation Hirais Sony was with the PlayStation from 1994/1995 to become a leading supplier in the field for game consoles and computer games. July 1st, 2006 Hirai was promoted to vice president of SCEI, on 30 November of the same year he took over in addition to his position at SCEA Kutaragi of the role of the President and Group COO of SCEI. On 26 April 2007 Hirai became the successor Kutaragis as President and Group CEO of SCEI group of companies and so appointed for the sole head of the Playstation division.

On April 1, 2009, Sony Computer Entertainment part of the newly created business unit Networked Products & Services Group, which included not only the PlayStation group and the business personal computer ( VAIO ), mobile products ( Walkman, Xperia ) and Sony Media Software & Services. While maintaining his duties as president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Hirai President and head of the new business unit and Vice President of the parent company Sony Corporation. On 1 April 2011, after a further restructuring of Sony's business activities in the Business Groups Consumer Products & Devices and a business-to -business division, Hirai took over now as Executive Deputy President directing the larger consumer segment, whereby the potential he successor of the previous CEOs Howard Stringer became. In fact, he followed Stringer on April 1, 2012 at the leadership as President and CEO of the whole Group Sony Corporation. In his new role he first presented a rescue plan for the economically depressed group.