Stringer Stepping Down as Sony Head

STRINGER THEORY: Sony Corp. Chairman Sir Howard Stringer will retire from his post in June, according to media reports over the weekend. Stringer, the Japanese company’s first-ever foreign President, announced his departure on Friday during a speech at the Japan Society in New York, with Sony confirming the news on Sunday. He will step down at the annual shareholders meeting, with Kazuo Hirai succeeding him as Chairman/President. "I was pleased to hand the reins to Kazuo Hirai last year because I saw in him the right mix of skills to lead Sony, and I knew it was the right time to bring about generational change," he told the New York Times. "Over the course of the past year, he has come into his own and is leading Sony with vision and authority." Stringer’s younger brother Rob heads Columbia Records. (3/11a)