Sony Names Foreigner New CEO

Tokyo, Sony has named Howard Stringer, a Welshman-turned U.S. citizen, chief executive of the company. He replaces Nobuyuki Idei, who headed the Tokyo-based company for a decade. Stringer has vowed to revive Sony’s lagging electronics sector by linking it with its entertainment businesses. The electronics giant has been struggling to maintain sales over cheaper competition from Asian rivals such as Matsushita Electric Industrial, owner of Panasonic and Canon.

Stringer, who does not speak Japanese, dismissed concerns about his ability to run the company. He joined Sony in 1997 after serving as president of Viacom’s CBS News from 1986 to 1988, and as president of CBS Broadcast Group from 1988 to 1995. Stringer said that Sony plans to build new products around the next-generation computer chip called “cell,” which will power the next PlayStation upgrade, as well as other devices.