Former PlayStation exec becomes first female CFO at Sony

Lin Tao will be taking on the role of Sony’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), marking a new historical milestone for the company. She will be the first female employee to take on the role, which opens up possibilities of reaching even higher positions.

As reported by Nikkei Asia, this change comes as part of the recent leadership shakeup in the company and was called ‘the most interesting part. Tao was highly praised by her fellow businessmen, who said he had a deep understanding of business and was unafraid to voice dissenting opinions.

Road toward Sony’s President role

As per the report, the company would not make her the CFO if they didn’t intend to make her the next president. Although there's a long way to go before the next president is appointed, Hiroki Totoki will be taking on the role starting April 1. Former president Kenichiro Yoshida and upcoming president Totoki also served as the CFO before taking on this role.

“The appointment of the next president is still a long way off, and we don't know if Tao will be the president,” said a current Sony Group executive. Apart from being the president, there are also multiple other roles Tao can head toward as the possibilities are many.

Also Read: Sony’s PS3 receives a surprising update to improve ‘system performance’

An impressive record over 25 years with Sony

Tao boasts a long history with Sony after joining the company back in 2000 in the gaming division at PlayStation. Over the years, she has taken on multiple key roles in the company, including Vice President of finance, business development, and strategy for Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) in 2021.

She also had a major role in multiple high-profile game development studio acquisitions, including the $3.7 billion Bungie deal. The Destiny 2 maker is now working on a new title named ‘Marathon’ which will reportedly be revealed this year.