Sony set to name Kazuo Hirai president as Howard Stringer steps aside

Sony has reportedly decided on Kazuo Hirai as its next company president.

Japanese newspaper Nikkei Business Daily reported that Hirai will take the post in April, while current president and chief executive Sir Howard Stringer will remain in the CEO and chairman roles.

Hirai is currently chairman for the company's Sony Computer Entertainment America branch. Last year, he was charged with leading the company through its disastrous PlayStation Network data breaches.

The report comes just days before the company is expected to unveil its latest creations at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. Sony is expected to unveil a number of products to the press just hours before the show's opening keynote Monday evening.

Hirai's appointment as president also comes as the company looks to consolidate its mobile operations and shake off lingering worries over the security of its platforms.

In October, Sony paid €1.05bn to purchase the remaining portion of shares in its joint handset venture with Ericsson in a deal industry analysts believe will help Sony make a push for a larger share of the mobile handset market.

Sony remains a popular target for hackers, however. The company's controversial stance on copyright protection and device modification makes its entertainment platforms a popular target for hacktivist groups such as Anonymous.