Jun 07 (Nikkei) - Nobuyuki Idei, former chairman and group CEO of Sony Group, has died of liver failure at age 84, the company announced Tuesday.
Idei joined Sony, then known as Sony Corp., in 1960, playing a key role in turning the electronics company into a tech giant. He was appointed president and representative director in 1995 and became CEO in 1998. He served as chairman and CEO from 2000 to 2005.
Sony said in a statement that a private funeral has been held, which was attended by close family members, adding, "A company memorial service is planned to be held at a later date."
During his tenure at Sony, Idei encouraged engineers to take advantage of new technologies and developed the concept "Digital Dream Kids," which aimed to accelerate the company's global expansion through the creation of next-generation entertainment products.
However, the collapse of the internet bubble and Sony's failure to lead the transition to flat-screen TVs triggered a slump in the company's earnings during Idei's last years at Sony. ...continue reading
Source: ANNnewsCH