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MUMBAI:
Japanese consumer electronics major Sony has announced a major
reorganisation and a new management team. Besides being chairman
and CEO, Howard Stringer will now also be president.
The
changes, effective 1 April, 2009, will fundamentally reorganise
the company’s electronics and game businesses to improve
profitability and strengthen competitiveness in the midst
of the continued global economic crisis. They will also accelerate
the production of innovative networked products and services
by strategically integrating these two business groups.
Stringer
says, “Consumers want products that are networked, multi-functional and service-enhanced
utilizing open technologies, and user experiences that are rich, shared and, increasingly,
green.
“This reorganisation is designed to transform Sony into
a more innovative, integrated and agile global company with
its next generation of leadership firmly in place. The changes
we’re announcing will accelerate the transformation of
the Company that began four years ago. They will now make
it possible for all of Sony’s parts to work together
to assume a position of worldwide leadership and, together,
achieve great things.”
Working with his newly appointed electronics leadership team,
Stringer will directly oversee the electronics business to
enable faster implementation of his strategic direction.
At
the heart of the reorganisation is the formation of two new
business groups:
The
Networked Products and Services Group will include
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE); personal computers (Vaio);
new mobile products, including the current Walhman lines;
and Sony Media Software and Services, which develops a common
service platform across Sony products. The mandate of the
group is to maximise the potential and pace of Sony's innovation
and to enhance profitability in networked products and services.
The
group also plans to incubate new products leveraging Sony's
technologies. Integral to this process is the utilisation
and expansion of the PlayStation Network service platform,
which currently has 20 million registered accounts globally.
Leading
the Group will be Kazuo Hirai, who will become Sony executive
VP and president of this group. He will also continue in his
current role as SCE president and group CEO. Kunimasa Suzuki,
currently President of the Consumer of America Group of Sony
Electronics in the US, will become Sony senior VP and deputy
president of this group. Within this group, Suzuki will lead
the new home and mobile business incubation project to create
new products that utilise the best technologies from across
the company, as well as the Vaio Business Group.
The
other new business group is the New Consumer Products Group.
This will include the current television, digital imaging,
home audio and video businesses. It will focus on profitability
and sustained growth by enhancing product innovation and competitiveness
and improving the speed and efficiency of operations.
The
group will also concentrate resources on further development
and growth in emerging markets.
Yoshihisa
Ishida, currently Vaio business group senior VP will head
the TV Business Group. In addition, two cross-company units
will be created with the aim of ensuring that Sony's networked
products and services can communicate seamlessly with a common
user interface and will reach consumers in a fast, cost-effective
and efficient manner.
The Common Software and Technology team, to be led by senior
VP Keiichiro Shimada, will develop and implement integrated
technology and software solutions across the products groups,
and provide coordinated software development services to the
product groups.
This
group's goal will be to assure maximum efficiency, common
user experiences and consistent technologies. Shimada will
also oversee R&D and technology strategy.
The Manufacturing/Logistics/Procurement team, to be headed
by executive deputy president Yutaka Nakagawa, will be charged
with ensuring the most efficient supply chain solutions throughout
these two new business groups. The group will leverage scale
in procurement, eliminate duplication and redundancy, outsource
manufacturing and design processes as appropriate, and help
improve the Company's green product profile.
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