Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton To Step Down

(RTTNews) - Sony Corp.'s (SON.L, SNE) Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Thursday said Jack Tretton would step down from his role as President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America or SCEA as of March 31. This follows a mutual agreement between Tretton and SCEA not to renew their contract.

Shawn Layden, currently Executive Vice President and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International or SNEI, will become President and CEO of SCEA, effective April 1.

Tretton has been with SCEA since its inception in 1995 and played a pivotal role in launching all PlayStation platforms in North America. Most recently, he led the record-breaking launch of PlayStation4, which sold more than one million units in 24 hours in North America.

Tretton was also responsible for achieving several industry milestones, including surpassing 50 million units sold of PlayStation2 in North America, and growing the PlayStation business in Canada and Latin America.

Commenting on his departure, Tretton said, "Working at SCEA for the past 19 years has been the most rewarding experience of my career. Although I will deeply miss the talented team at SCEA and the passion demonstrated every day by our fans, I'm very excited about starting the next chapter of my career.''

A 15-year PlayStation veteran, Layden was one of the founding members of SNEI in 2010. He joined the company from Sony Computer Entertainment, where he most recently held the position of President, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan.

His career at Sony Computer Entertainment also included eight years at SCE Worldwide Studios in London, where he directed international software development.

Sony is currently trading up over 1 percent in Tokyo at 1,844 yen.