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Ravi Ahuja to take over as CEO of Sony Pictures as Tony Vinciquerra steps down

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Sony Group Corporation and Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) today announced that SPE Chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra will step down from his role, and that Ravi Ahuja, SPE's current Chairman of Global Television Studios, President, and COO, will assume leadership as President and CEO, effective January 2, 2025.

Vinciquerra will remain in an advisory role as non-executive Chairman until the end of December 2025. Ahuja will report to Sony Group Corporation Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, and Sony Group Corporation President, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki.

"The extraordinary turnaround at SPE over the last 10 years would not have been possible without Tony's deep experience and expertise in the entertainment space, his strategic vision, and his outstanding leadership," said Yoshida.

"Under Tony's watch, SPE became a critical part of our efforts to maximize the value of our intellectual property and find synergies across all our entertainment and technology businesses. It remains a key driver in Sony Group's ongoing corporate strategy to lean further into the creative and entertainment spaces. I want to thank Tony for his years of dedication and leadership at SPE and for his invaluable support across the group during his successful career at Sony."

Yoshida continued, "Since joining SPE in 2021, Ravi has been at the center of Tony's leadership team, navigating the unprecedented challenges of today's media and entertainment environment, and positioning SPE for further growth. Ravi brings years of experience from his time at some of the world's most successful entertainment companies, and we look forward to working more closely with him in his new role as President and CEO of SPE."

Vinciquerra joined SPE in June 2017 and led the company's dramatic turnaround, achieving five consecutive years of increasing profit by strengthening SPE's film slate, reimagining its television businesses, and pursuing aggressive M&A in key growth areas, such as the acquisition of Crunchyroll in 2021. His strategic decisions, including the divestment of most of SPE's international cable networks and the decision not to enter the overcrowded general entertainment streaming space, have kept SPE profitable during a time of unprecedented industry change.

In recent years, Vinciquerra led SPE through some of the entertainment industry's most challenging events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the historic SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes of 2023, which brought television and film production to a standstill. Despite these challenges, SPE remains strong and competitive among its peers.

"When I stepped into this role seven and a half years ago, I never imagined the extraordinary industry disruption and opportunities we'd face," said Vinciquerra. "I'm filled with immense gratitude for this exceptional company and its profound legacy in Hollywood history. I'm consistently inspired by my brilliant and resolute colleagues. Together, against the odds, we've achieved remarkable success and proven that this is a community built on passion and resilience. Thank you for making these past seven and a half years the most gratifying of my career. My sincere appreciation goes to Kazuo Hirai for offering me this opportunity in 2017, and to Kenichiro Yoshida and Hiroki Totoki for their leadership and unwavering trust and support over the years. I have the utmost confidence that SPE will continue to thrive and know that Ravi is the right leader to take SPE forward."

Ravi Ahuja joined SPE in 2021 to oversee all production businesses for Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and the studio's India business as Chairman of Global Television Studios. SPT and its production companies produce several award-winning and acclaimed television series, including The Crown, The Boys, Gen V, Cobra Kai, Better Call Saul, The Last of Us, Outlander, For All Mankind, The Night Agent, Twisted Metal, The Wheel of Time, S.W.A.T., The Good Doctor, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Shark Tank, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, 90 Day Fiancé, Octonauts, SuperKitties, and many more.

Since joining SPE, Ahuja has also overseen SPE's M&A activities, including the acquisitions of the award-winning nonfiction entertainment company Industrial Media, the leading UK production company Bad Wolf, and the VFX company Pixomondo, as well as the sale of GSN Games to Scopely.

Prior to joining SPE, Ahuja was President of Business Operations and CFO of Walt Disney Television. Before that, he held positions of increasing authority, including CFO, at Fox Networks Group and Virgin Entertainment Group, Inc.

"It is my privilege and honor to take the helm at SPE," said Ahuja. "This is a special place -- an iconic studio with an extraordinary 100-year history of storytelling. Thanks to Tony's remarkable leadership, we have leading businesses with clear strategies and are set up for even greater success in the years to come. I am energized by the opportunities ahead and am lucky to work alongside thousands of talented colleagues around the world at SPE and our Sony sister companies. I am grateful for Tony's mentorship, guidance, and friendship through the decades, and I thank Yoshida-san and Totoki-san for entrusting me with this important role."
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