Today, Sony announced Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, would be stepping down effective March 31st of this year.
In a letter addressed to the “PlayStation Nation” on the Official PlayStation Blog, Tretton cited the reason for his departure as a “a mutual agreement with SCEA.”
“I leave knowing that the PlayStation brand has never been stronger, PlayStation 4 momentum continues to accelerate, and the future will only get brighter for our gamers. Serving PlayStation fans for the past 19 years has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career. Your passion for gaming inspired me every day.
I want to thank you for constantly pushing PlayStation to deliver breakthrough gaming and entertainment experiences, and to never settle for “good enough.” The embodiment of this commitment can be found in the PS4, which has quickly become the #1 next-gen console worldwide…thanks to you.
We’ve shared many memories over the past two decades and I’ll always be grateful for your support.”
Tretton’s successor will be Shaun Layden, Executive VP and COO (chief operating officer) of Sony Network Entertainment International. Hopefully Layden will be as beloved as Tretton was.
I remember hearing a pretty great story from my friend Will Westwater about Jack Tretton. Will did some E3 stuff with his brother last year, and got to meet Tretton in passing. A couple months later, when Will’s brother was doing an interview with Tretton, the former CEO actually remembered “the Westwater boys.” It’s stuff like that, glimpses of humanity beneath the professionalism, that endear an executive to the general public.
Hopefully, Shaun Layden takes the correct lessons from his predecessor and acts like a real person every once in a while. It goes a long way.
