Kazuo Hirai Will lead Sony Corp.

Kazuo Hirai will be appointed president and CEO come April 1. Hirai will replace Sir Howard Stringer, who is chairman, president and CEO. Stringer will become chairman of the board of directors.

Stringer and the board have been discussing succession plans for three years.

“Kaz is a globally focused executive for whom technology and the cloud are familiar territory, content is highly valued, and digital transformation is second nature,” said Stringer. “I believe his tough-mindedness and leadership skills will be of great benefit to the company and its customers in the months and years ahead.”