On March 7, 2005 it was announced that Idei would be succeeded on June 22 by Sir Howard Stringer, 63, a Welsh by birth having a dual-passport of UK and USA.
The king of all this cool stuff is NobuyukiIdei, co-CEO of the $56 billion company since May 1998 (the co- dropped from his title in June).
In April Idei announced a reorganization of the company to focus on home networking--not connecting that PC and printer in the den, but linking all those (Sony) gadgets, entertainment systems and appliances elsewhere in the house.
Idei boasts that the new box, due out in Japan in late 1999, will do more than knock your eyes out with graphics-rich games; it will become the nerve center of the networked living room.
Idei has played a key role in moving Sony into the digital age and in developing and enhancing Sony’s renowned design and brand image throughout his career.
Idei was also elected onto the board of General Motors in November 1999 and Nestlé S.A. in April 2001.
NobuyukiIdei, a member of Accenture's board of directors since February 2006, is Chief Corporate Advisor and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Sony Corporation.
Idei held a wide variety of leadership positions at Sony, including serving as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1999-2000 and President and Representative Director from 1995-1999.
Idei received a B.S. degree in Economics and Politics from Waseda University in Tokyo in 1960.
NOBUYUKIIDEI turned Sony around just in time to see the Japanese economy clobbered by a deepening recession in 1998.
But while other Japanese companies are struggling to stay afloat, Idei stands out for taking bold steps to prepare for a future in which electronic toys and tools converge.
Back in the office, some Sony executives worry that, with all his drive, Idei is speeding too fast around hidden curves.
Now the corporation is moving into the wired age by developing products for a consumer-electronics world that is interconnected by everything from satellites to the Internet.
Today's buzz word is convergence, and Idei is working hard to put Sony in place at the forefront of the market where hardware and software meet.
Idei's friendship with fellow wired leader Bill Gates paid off this year when Sony announced a partnership with Microsoft to produce products for the Windows CE platform.
