Sony chief financial officer to lead electronic giant as president

Sony has appointed a veteran executive as its president to lead the Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate through times of change.

Hiroki Totoki, Sony’s chief financial officer, will become president and chief operating officer, Sony said in a statement.

Kenichiro Yoshida remains chairman and chief executive, signalling continuity at the Tokyo-based maker of PlayStation consoles, Bravia TVs and Spider-Man movies.

Sony is forecast to report a decline in earnings in its corporate results update later in the day.

Mr Yoshida proposed the executive change to strengthen Sony’s management across its diverse operations last year. It won unanimous board approval on Thursday.

Sony, for decades synonymous with Japan’s technological prowess, brought mobile entertainment to the world with the music-on-the-move Walkman more than four decades ago.

In recent years it has been criticised as struggling to co-ordinate its sprawling operations spanning video games and music to digital cameras and robot dogs.

Mr Totoki said he will try to live up to the challenge.

“I would like to create a positive spiral that begins with Sony being chosen by customers, which then energises our employees, enables us to attract more new talent, increases our corporate value and ultimately enables us to give back to society,” he said.