Jack Tretton will step down from his role as President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sony announced today. According to the firm, “this is a result of a mutual agreement between Mr. Tretton and SCEA not to renew their contractual relationship.”
Tretton will be replaced by Shawn Layden, currently Executive Vice President and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International. The change will go into effect on April 1st.
Tretton had been with SCEA for since 1994, as one of the founding members of its executive team. He was involved in a number of PlayStation product launches in North America, all the way from the original PlayStation to PS4.
“Working at SCEA for the past 19 years has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” said Tretton. “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.”
“I want to thank the employees, partners and customers for their tireless commitment to the PlayStation brand and, of course, to our fans who have pushed us to new heights of innovation and entertainment over the past two decades. I leave PlayStation in a position of considerable strength and the future will only get brighter for PlayStation Nation.”
“It’s an honor and privilege to join Sony Computer Entertainment America and be a part of the team that is leading the next generation of gaming and entertainment,” said Layden.
“SCEA is committed to delivering breakthrough gaming experiences that inspire fans and exceed their wildest expectations. As PS4 shows us every day, there has never been a better time to be part of the PlayStation community and I look forward to working with our retail, development, publishing and network partners to further demonstrate why PlayStation is the best place to play.”
Finally, Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment pitched in as well.
“I’ve worked with Jack for nearly two decades and I want to personally thank him for his leadership and the considerable contributions he’s made to the SCEA business and PlayStation brand over the years. I wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors,” said House.
“I also want to welcome Shawn to the Sony Computer Entertainment America team. I have the utmost confidence in Shawn’s leadership capabilities, and his deep knowledge of the gaming industry and commitment to gamers, will help keep PlayStation at the forefront of entertainment and innovative gameplay.”
