Sony stands by last CEO choice, but next one may be from Japan

BARCELONA: Welsh-born Howard Stringer was the right choice to lead Sony, the world’s top consumer electronics company, but the next CEO is likely to be Japanese, Chairman Nobuyuki Idei said on Monday.

When asked at the ETRE technology conference whether the decision to appoint Mr Stringer — the first Westerner to head one of Japan’s corporate giants — was right, ex-CEO Idei said “I think so, yes.”

“I think it is very important for Japan to open up the country and communicate with other countries,” he said, recalling the “Japan Invades Hollywood” headline on the cover of Newsweek magazine when Sony bought Columbia Pictures in 1989.

But Mr Idei said he expected the next CEO of Sony, whose activities span consumer electronics, music and film, will be Japanese again. “I think it will be a Japanese, young generation, 40-45,” he said, without giving a reason.

Mr Idei also paid tribute to Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, whose iconic iPod music device stole the place of Sony’s Walkman portable music player after the Walkman had dominated the market for decades.

“I envy him, but I don’t know the future of the company, Apple,” he said, adding, “I think the iPod is probably the trigger for the PC becoming an entertainment centre.”