PlayStation announces successors for Jim Ryan: Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino to become new CEOs of SIE

Sony Interactive Entertainment has named its new leaders following the resignation of Jim Ryan. He will be succeeded by Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino, who will report to the company’s president.

Hideaki Nishino (left), Hermen Hulst (right)

According to the official announcement, the executives will lead two business units within SIE:

• Hermen Hulst will be appointed CEO of the Studio Business Group (management of in-house studios, game development and publishing, and business operations of SIE’s first-party content);
• Hideaki Nishino will be appointed CEO of the Platform Business Group (technology, products, and services such as PSN, as well as hardware sales, marketing, and relations with third-party developers).

Their new roles will take effect from June 1. Both Hulst and Nishino will report to Sony Group president, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki, who served as the gaming division’s interim CEO following Jim Ryan’s resignation.

“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,” Totoki said in a statement.

Hulst is best known as the co-founder of Guerrilla Games (Killzone, Horizon). In 2011, he joined SIE as VP of World Wide Studios, eventually becoming the head of PlayStation Studios in 2019. “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,” Hulst said about his new role.

Nishino is a veteran manager and executive, who has been working at Sony since 2006. In his current role as SVP of the Platform Experience Group, he was responsible for developing the user experience and technology within PlayStation products and services. “We will continue to connect players and creators through world-class products, services, and technology,” Nishino noted. “We always strive to grow our community even bigger with innovation in every area at Sony Interactive Entertainment.”

The new leadership structure is rather new for Sony, as it will be the first time the company’s gaming division will be led by two executives.