Meet SIE Business Group New CEO Hermen Hulst

In May 2024, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) brought Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino as its co-CEOs, effective June 1, 2024. They both have been working for PlayStation for several years.

Today, in particular, we will be learning more about SIE Business Group new CEO Hermen Hulst. He is the man behind the release of the fastest-selling PS Spider-Man units, including the PS5 Console.

Hulst is known as a visionary leader in the world of gaming. Therefore, let’s find out about his personal and professional.

Early Life And Origin – Where Is He From?

Hulst is a native of Amsterdam, Netherlands. He spent his entire childhood in North Holland and completed his education there.

The Dutch was born in March 1971, and he celebrated his 50th birthday with friends and family and shared a picture on his official Instagram account to announce his personal milestone.

Hermen used to play video games a lot at a young age. His mom had a toy store in Amsterdam, and he loved playing arcade games there.

Educational Status And Initial Work Experience

By his early 20s, Hermen was already in business school. He attended the University of Twente in 1990 and began studying Industrial Engineering and Management. Likewise, he earned a master’s degree in 1996.

SIE Business Group New CEO Hermen Hulst. Image Credit: Instagram.

Hermen had his first professional experience in the gaming industry while he was attending Twente. He got a marketeer internship for Ubisoft, where he wrote marketing plans for their game ‘Rayman.’

Afterward, Hulst worked for numerous companies, which we will explore later. Meanwhile, he opted for a second Bachelor’s degree and joined Amsterdam University in 2008. Hulst graduated cum laude in Philosophy.

Kick Started His Professional Journey In 1996

SIE Business Group new CEO Hermen Hulst, joined Philips Electronics in January 1996 after completing his Master’s degree. There, he worked in the strategic marketing department until December 1997.

Likewise, the former Ubisoft intern became a senior consultant at Anderson Consulting from 1998 to 2000. Before returning full-time to the gaming industry, this was his last job as a marketeer and consultant.

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He Is the Co-Founder of Guerrilla Studios

Finally, it was time for Hermen to integrate his business skills, love for technology, and gaming past. The Dutch national made his return to the gaming industry with a bang.

Hulst was so excited when he set up a game development studio, Guerrilla Games, in 2001. Previously launched as Lost Boys Games, Guerrilla combines three small Dutch studios: Orange Games, Formula Game Development, and Digital Infinity.

SIE Business Group New CEO Hermen Hulst. Image Credit: Instagram.

Hermen also served as the managing director of Guerrilla Studios until November 2019. Under his leadership, the studios announced its first video game, Shellshock Nam ’67, on February 19, 2004.

Hulst’s statement regarding the game was,

With ShellShock: Nam ’67, we are aiming to deliver a game that really provides as authentic a war experience as possible. Through extensive research, but also by not shying away from the more controversial aspects of war, we are looking to provide gamers with the closest thing to actually being there

Not long after Sony acquired Guerrilla Games on December 8, 2005, Hermen became the PlayStation’s head. Likewise, Sony acquired Bungie (the developer studio of Destiny games) for $3.6 billion.

On another note, Hermen has been Bungie’s board member since July 2022.

Joined PlayStation In 2011

SIE Business Group new CEO Hermen Hulst became a regular employee of PlayStation in 2011. He joined the company as a Vice President of Sony Interactive Entertainment/World Wide Studios.

Similarly, the Dutch national worked his way up to the position of head of PlayStation Studios in November 2019 after eight years of hard work and dedication.

Hulst has shared the company’s achievements, new products, and collaboration on his social media handles.

The New CEO of SIE Business Group

In early May 2024, the tech world witnessed serious changes in Sony’s executive bodies. About three months prior, the company announced the layoff of 900 employees. Following the announcement, Jim Ryan left Sony at the end of March 2024.

Not long after Ryan’s departure, Sony announced the appointment of Hermen Hulst as the chief executive officer of the SIE studio business group. Hideaki Nishino will also be appointed as CEO of the SIE platform group.

This is the first time Sony has named co-CEOs to lead its PlayStation business. It comes at a time when layoffs have hit the gaming industry hard over the last 18 months.

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SIE Business Group New CEO Hermen Hulst Is A Family Man

The Dutch national is not only successful in his professional life but also in his personal life. He has been married to a wonderful lady. However, he has not mentioned her name on his social media handles but has shared some pictures with her.

SIE Business Group New CEO Hermen Hulst. Image Credit: Instagram.

Similarly, Hulst has a son with his wife. His name is Max Hulst. Max can be frequently seen on Hermen’s social media posts. We wish the new CEO all the best in his upcoming job and hope he conquers new heights.

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