After the departure of Ken Kutaragi in November 2006, amid harsh criticism over the PlayStation 3's difficult birth, Kaz Hirai stepped into the breach, assuming Kutaragi-san's mantle as President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
This means that for the last year and a half Hirai has been the big man at PlayStation – no mean feat for someone who, although of Japanese extraction, certainly sounds American, and previously headed up SCE's American operation.
But it's easy to see why Hirai was picked to take over the reins from the 'Father of the PlayStation': he's a very slick, articulate operator.
