TOKYO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Sony Group ( SONY ) President

Hiroki Totoki will add the CEO role from April 1, while

incumbent Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida will remain as

chairman, the entertainment and technology conglomerate said on

Wednesday.

The moves cement the leadership position of Totoki, who

assumed the president's post in 2023 and has also served as

finance chief of the company.

Sony ( SONY ), once famous for its consumer electronics such as the

Walkman, is aiming to strengthen its position in entertainment,

with Yoshida credited with helping to have engineered the shift.

Totoki already helms Sony's ( SONY ) earnings briefings and took

the role of chairman of the key gaming unit behind the

PlayStation 5 console as it took steps to improve margins.

"(Totoki) spearheaded growth strategies for the Sony

Group ( SONY ), such as our investments in content IP and semiconductors,

and is a leader capable of shaping our vision and strategy for

future growth," Yoshida said in a company statement.

Lin Tao will become the first woman to serve as chief

financial officer, after serving as an executive at the games

business, with Hideaki Nishino to become CEO of that unit after

serving as head of the technology side of the business.