Change at the top of Sony Pictures Entertainmentwith the president and CEO Tony Vinciquerra who is preparing to step down, while Ravi Ahuja will become president and CEO starting in 2025. Ahuja was promoted to president and COO earlier this year, in a move designed to position him as Vinciquerra’s successor and give him experience in the whole company. Vinciquerra will remain at Sony Pictures Entertainment as non-executive chairman until 2025.
“It wasn’t so much a decision as a process, because we started this journey two and a half years ago, when I signed my last agreement, and the goal was to prepare Ravi for the role and promote him in March, and then hand him the witness at the end of the year,” Vinciquerra told the The Hollywood Reporter. “My decision at that point was to do this job for a short time to help revive the company, take it from where it was to a stable, solid position.”
The veteran Hollywood executive joined Sony Pictures in 2017 following the company’s devastating cyberattack, helping to turn around its balance sheet and corporate strategy. During this time, he guided Sony Pictures through the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s Hollywood strikes and the broader shift to video streaming.
Sony Pictures Entertainment includes the Sony Pictures film and television studios, as well as brands such as Columbia PicturesScreen Gems, TriStar Pictures and Crunchyroll. Among the franchises in its portfolio are Men in Black, Ghostbusters, Karate Kid e Jumanji. Sony Pictures also owns the production rights to Marvel’s Spider-Man films and TV series.
“SPE’s extraordinary transformation over the past 10 years would not have been possible without Tony’s entertainment experience and expertise, his strategic vision and exceptional leadership,” Yoshida said in a statement. “Under Tony’s leadership, SPE has become a key part of our efforts to maximize the value of our intellectual property and create synergies across our entertainment and technology businesses. I want to thank Tony for his years of dedication and leadership at SPE, and for his invaluable support across all group companies during his distinguished career at Sony.”
“Since joining SPE in 2021, Ravi has been at the center of Tony’s leadership team, navigating through the unprecedented challenges of today’s media and entertainment landscape and positioning SPE for future growth,” he continued. “Ravi brings with him years of experience gained at some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, and we look forward to working more closely with him in his new role as president and CEO of SPE.”
“When I took on this role seven and a half years ago, I never imagined the extraordinary disruption and opportunities we would face in the industry,” added Vinciquerra. “I am immensely grateful for this exceptional company and its profound legacy in Hollywood history. I am constantly inspired by my brilliant and determined colleagues. Together, against all odds, we have achieved extraordinary successes and have consistently demonstrated that this is a community built on passion and resilience. Thank you for making these last seven and a half years the most rewarding of my career. My sincere thanks go to Kazuo Hirai for offering me this opportunity in 2017, and to Kenichiro Yoshida and Hiroki Totoki for their leadership and continued support over the years. I am confident that SPE will continue to thrive for years to come and I know that Ravi is the right leader to lead SPE into the future.”
“It is a privilege and honor for me to take the helm of SPE,” said Ahuja. “This is a special place, an iconic studio with an extraordinary 100-year history of storytelling. Thanks to Tony’s extraordinary leadership, we have leading companies with clear strategies and are poised for even greater success in the years to come. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and am fortunate to work with thousands of talented colleagues around the world at SPE and our sister companies at Sony. I am grateful to Tony for his mentorship, guidance and friendship over the years, and I thank Yoshida-san and Totoki-san for entrusting me with this important role.”
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