Jack Tretton is set to leave his role as president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, from March 31st of this year. This comes as a mutual decision from Tretton and SCEA not to renew their contractual relationships, just months after the release and success of the PlayStation 4.
Shawn Layden, the Executive Vice President and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International will take his role at SCEA on the first of April.
Jack Tretton has been a figure synonymous with the PlayStation brand since its inception in 1995. He’s become popular among the public too, with his constant smile and charm. You’ll have likely seen him at E3, talking about all things PlayStation and introducing everyone else on stage, so to see him leave after leading the company through some brilliant years and huge milestones is quite disheartening.
“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 hard not to read that in his voice, and him discussing PlayStation will always be missed, no matter where he moves onto next in his career.
“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 his successor, Shawn Layden. “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.”
And we’d like to thank you too, Jack, for bringing some charm to PlayStation throughout the years.
mclarenrob2
Andrew House?
Andrewww
You want him to leave because he presented Wonderbook back then..? ;o)
tatoemonkey
Nooooooooooooooo I love this guy at E3 he is a true showman! :(
Vandix
What?!? I can’t believe it, some sick April fools joke or something?
If true I wish him the best in his next endeavour.
Blair Inglis
It’s not April yet, and April Fools jokes don’t come as press releases, unfortunately.
Kennykazey
That’s some unexpected news right there, I can’t belive it. Jack is a very likable and down-to-earth man, Layden has some mighty big shoes to fill. I hope Tretton finds great joy in whatever he does next. He will be missed.
Andrewww
Is a shame, and he provided us with unforgettable E3 moments. But usually people leave after ruining a business, like e.g. Ballmer. This is definitely a better situation to leave.
Foxhound_Solid
Dudes a legend!
coruscant
Damn shame, I’ve always like and admired Jack Tretton.
bunimomike
Same here. Pretty gutted as he comes across as such a genuinely lovely bloke.
KeRaSh
Sony lost one of the most charming CEOs with Jack Tretton. He was liked and respected throughout the community. He will be missed…
mclarenrob2
The Sony E3 conferences will be lacking something from now on. Jack was the trademark for Playstation and its big annoucements.
Tuffcub
Ooh I wonder if MS poached him. Their management has zero personality.
JR.
Yeah but they make up for it with really cool nicknames like Major Nelson, DonDon and Billy G. They’re down with the kids.
Temascos
He was always a consistently entertaining speaker at E3, and seemed to lead well from behind the scenes. 19 years is a long time to be in a single job so leaving it now at a high point is a good idea.
Hopefully Layden does well at the job, for his sake as well as thousands of others.