Sir Howard Stringer was the first non-Japanese CEO of the Sony Corporation. Quite a feat. Since he’s done such a great job, it looks like he’ll rise to the highest rank of President of the Sony Corporation. This move is part of Sony’s restructuring plan which consolidates many of its divisions into more manageable chunks.
For example, the VAIO computer, Walkman and Sony Computer Entertainment game businesses will now fall under the newly formed “Networked Products & Services Group”. This group will be helmed by Kaz Hirai, the head honcho of SCE. It will be responsible for improving the interoperability between their own gadgets and improving their functionality with the Internet. At the same time, the BRAVIA LCD, camera and other A/V groups will form a new group called the “New Consumer Products Group”.
I’ve got to say that these names are quite terrible. The groupings themselves aren’t bad, but how does does “New Consumer Products Group” equate to TVs and cameras? Doesn’t that also apply to PlayStations as well? I’m sure PlayStations are consumer products as well. Perhaps it’s not “New”?
As for the question of: “How did a non-Japanese man become the President of such a large Japanese company?”. The answer is simple:
The Japanese can’t take decisive actions toward their comrades during hardship,” said Yuuki Sakurai, general manager of financial and investment planning at Tokyo-based Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Co., which manages $54 billion in assets. “As a non-Japanese without such loyalties, Stringer is better positioned to conduct the large-scale restructuring that Sony has to do.”
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