TOKYO, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Howard Stringer, Sony's chief executive, says he will become president as well to bolster the company's struggling electronics division.
Stringer, 67, announced Friday he is succeeding Ryoji Chubachi, 61, who will become responsible for product quality and safety, a post that removes him from top decision-making, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Sony, which expects to post a $3 billion loss for the year ending March 31, must streamline its sprawling electronics division to regain a competitive edge and to weather the global downturn, Stringer said Friday.
Sony trails in market share in many of its products, including TVs, digital music players and video game consoles, noted Stringer, a Welsh-born American who four years ago became the first foreigner to head Sony.
"I am more aware of how far we are behind than maybe Japanese executives," Stringer said, adding he will increase the time he spends at Sony's Tokyo headquarters to three weeks a month from two, with the rest of his time spent in Britain, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
