Sony Corp. Chairman and CEO Howard Stringer may only have two more quarters to weather at the helm of the Japanese electronics giant before passing the mantle to his successor, The Post has learned.
Sources familiar with the situation said they expect Stringer — who took the reins in March 2005 — to step down as chief executive at the end of its fiscal year in March.
If he opts to relinquish the CEO title next spring, Stringer will likely stay on as chairman, sources said.
Sony hasn’t made any official announcement about Stringer’s future or his successor, although it is widely believed that Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai will take the top slot.
A Sony spokesman declined to comment.
The 69-year-old Stringer has suffered a string of setbacks in the past year. Those ranged from production disruptions caused by Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami to a massive cyber-attack on the company’s PlayStation Network.
The company has also struggled with stiff competition from more nimble rivals like Apple and Samsung.
Earlier this year, Stringer refused to step down after the huge security breach sparked user outrage. But he took a 16 percent pay cut, reducing his compensation to $4.3 million — one of the smallest packages of any media conglomerate chief.
Sony also delivered disappointing second-quarter results yesterday. The company swung to a quarterly loss and said it expects to lose $1.2 billion this fiscal year after earlier predicting a profit.
Sony recorded a net loss of $350 million.