In a major shake up at Sony Pictures Entertainment, chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra is stepping down from his role, and Ravi Ahuja, the current Chairman of Global Television Studios and President and COO for SPE, is being elevated to President and CEO, the company announced Monday.
The move will be effective January 2, 2025.
Vinciquerra joined Sony in 2017 and led the company on a pivot away from streaming. He largely made Sony an “arms dealer” not burdened down by its own streaming service, many of which have struggled to attain profitability at rival studios. He was also a factor in the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023. Recently, he led the charge on Sony acquiring theater chain Alamo Drafthouse.
Ahuja has been with SPE since 2021 under Vinciquerra’s leadership team. He previously led Sony’s India division but has since been behind hits like “The Crown,” “The Boys,” “Jeopardy!,” and “The Last of Us.” He’s also been behind M&A activity such as acquiring nonfiction entertainment company Industrial Media, UK production company Bad Wolf and VFX company, Pixomondo, as well as the sale of GSN Games to Scopely.
“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,” Sony Group Corporation Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said in a statement. “Under Tony’s watch, SPE became a critically important part of our efforts to maximize the value of our IP and find synergies across all our entertainment and technology businesses, and it remains a key driver in Sony Group’s ongoing corporate strategies 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 companies during his successful career at Sony.”
He 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 with him 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 spent a decade at Fox. moving from president of the Fox Television Network to eventually being named chairman in 2008. He left the company in 2011 and spent time as an entertainment consultant. But several years after the Sony hack in 2014, Vinciquerra returned and helped the company through a dramatic turnaround, including navigating Covid and the strikes. He also acquired the anime streaming service Crunchyroll in 2021, has bolstered Sony’s film slate, and divested many of the brand’s international cable networks.
“When I stepped into this role seven and a half years ago, I would’ve never imagined the extraordinary industry disruption and opportunity 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 achieved remarkable success and have consistently proven that this is a community built on passion and resilience. Thank you for making these past seven and 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 in the years ahead and know that Ravi is the right leader to take SPE forward.”
Prior to joining SPE, Ahuja was President of Business Operations and CFO of Walt Disney Television. Prior to that he was CFO at the Fox Networks Group and at 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 at 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.”
