After 19 years working at Sony Computer Entertainment America, Jack Tretton is leaving Sony. Jack Tretton’s departure was a “result of a mutual agreement between Mr. Tretton and SCEA not to renew their contractual relationship.” This was confirmed by a press release sent out this afternoon which includes the following statement:

“Working at SCEA for the past 19 years has been the most rewarding experience of my career. Although I will deeply miss the talented team at SCEA and the passion demonstrated every day by our fans, I’m very excited about starting the next chapter of my career. I want to thank the employees, partners and customers for their tireless commitment to the PlayStation brand and, of course, to our fans who have pushed us to new heights of innovation and entertainment over the past two decades. I leave PlayStation in a position of considerable strength and the future will only get brighter for PlayStation Nation.”

Replacing Jack Tretton in the role of president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America will be Shawn Layden, currently executive Vice President and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International. Shawn Layden has been part of the PlayStation group for 15 years now and was a former president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan and one of the founding members of Sony Network Entertainment International.

Andrew House, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, released a statement regarding Jack Tretton and Shawn Layden:

“I’ve worked with Jack for nearly two decades and I want to personally thank him for his leadership and the considerable contributions he’s made to the SCEA business and PlayStation brand over the years. I wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors. I also want to welcome Shawn to the Sony Computer Entertainment America team. I have the utmost confidence in Shawn’s leadership capabilities, and his deep knowledge of the gaming industry and commitment to gamers, will help keep PlayStation at the forefront of entertainment and innovative gameplay.”

In addition to the press releases, Jack Tretton also wrote a blog post on the official North American PlayStation blog:

It is with mixed feelings that I inform you that I will be stepping down as President and CEO of SCEA effective March 31, 2014. This is a result of a mutual agreement with SCEA, and I leave knowing that the PlayStation brand has never been stronger, PlayStation 4 momentum continues to accelerate, and the future will only get brighter for our gamers.

Serving PlayStation fans for the past 19 years has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career. Your passion for gaming inspired me every day.

I want to thank you for constantly pushing PlayStation to deliver breakthrough gaming and entertainment experiences, and to never settle for “good enough.” The embodiment of this commitment can be found in the PS4, which has quickly become the #1 next-gen console worldwide…thanks to you.

We’ve shared many memories over the past two decades and I’ll always be grateful for your support.