Sony Chairman Idei Expects Next CEO To Be Japanese

Sony’s Chairman and former CEO, Idei Nobuyuki was quoted by Reuters during a high-level executive meeting in Barcelona on Monday that the next Sony CEO will be a Japanese.

When asked at the ETRE technology conference whether the decision to appoint Stringer — the first Westerner to head one of Japan’s corporate giants — was right, ex-CEO Idei said “I think so, yes. Welsh-born Howard Stringer was the right choice to lead Sony Corp., the world’s top consumer electronics company, but the next CEO is likely to be Japanese, Chairman Nobuyuki Idei said on Monday.

Idei’s remark is most unusual but perhaps it suggests that Sony’s Advisory Board is feeling a little pessimistic about Stringer’s performance as of late.

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

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 center.”

(via Reuters)