Sony is seeking a director to help it make acquisitions and investments in other companies in the games industry.
As spotted by business analystRoberto Serrano, theDirector of Corporate Developmentlisting (based in Sony’s California office) says the successful applicant will be mainly involved in identifying potential future acquisition and investment targets.
“Sony Interactive Entertainment(PlayStation) seeks a highly qualified Director, Corporate Development. SIE’s Corporate Development Team works closely with SIE’s management team and is responsible for identifying inorganic growth opportunities through acquisitions, investments or joint ventures,” the ad reads.
“The team sources, evaluates and completes transactions that are aligned with SIE’s strategic priorities and drive significant long-term value for the company.
“The foundational work of the team involves developing market insights through strong internal and external relationships to identify attractive [mergers and acquisition] and investment opportunities.”
Among the various skills sought by Sony, the successful candidate will need to have a “proven track record of leading all parts of the end-to-end M&A process for both large and small transactions, including acquisitions, joint ventures and investments”.
The role appears to be similar toan Xbox listing posted last week, which seeks a manager in the company’s Gaming Strategy & Development department.
“The Gaming Strategy & Development team serves as the corporate strategy function for TeamXbox,” that listing reads.
“We partner closely with the Gaming Leadership Team to identify and evaluate transformative growth opportunities.
“Our charter includes helping to answerMicrosoftGaming’s most challenging business questions, leading Gaming’s M&A program (e.g.,Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax,Double Fine, etc.), and identifying and understanding key industry dynamics.”
Further reading
M&A activity in the games industry hit a record $85 billion in 2021 and has beenforecastto reach $150 billion this year, with huge deals such asMicrosoft’s acquisition of Activision BlizzardandTake-Two’s buyout of Zyngahaving already been announced in 2022’s opening months.
Discussing industry consolidation earlier this month, influential figureGeoff Keighleysuggested more major deals could be announcedsooner rather than later.
The Game Awardscreatortweeted: “Have heard from multiple people: As you might suspect, there are a few other big video game deals in final stages of negotiations. It’s going to be an interesting year!”
