Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) depends on strong leadership across all departments in order to maintain a high level of quality and live up to our commitment to our community. SVP, General Counsel Stephanie Burns, who brings an incredible wealth of experience and knowledge, is one such leader.

Many may not understand how departments work together to deliver high-calibre experiences across PlayStation. The legal department specifically may be one of the last places one would see as instrumental in producing SIE’s products and services, but it is true. Stephanie Burns and her team are a full-service legal department for SIE, including IP, product counseling, technology transactions, privacy and security, litigation, compliance, and employment. “We cover all of our businesses end-to-end, with the ultimate goal of helping the PlayStation business produce the best video game products and services,” Stephanie Burns says.

Recently joining the company after working within the automotive, tech, and e-commerce sectors with private practices and companies like Amazon and StubHub, Stephanie was eager to return to entertainment where she began, “Starting my career, I wanted to be an entertainment lawyer and one of my first jobs had me working in a firm’s IP litigation department where I assisted on a case dealing with video game counterfeiting. Legally speaking, it was a really cool and interesting case.” 

Returning to her passion of entertainment and merging it with her background in tech, she found SIE to be a perfect fit that will allow her to help spotlight the vision of creators within tech and gaming, “The creativity from SIE and its studios is one of the things that drew me in. The content that PlayStation Studios, along with our partners, do for the gaming industry, is best in class.”

“I’m also on the board of a global non-profit organization, ChIPs, whose mission is  to advance women in technology, law and policy, and there is an alignment with my passion to accelerate innovation through diversity of thought that runs parallel with SIE’s commitment to DE&I. SIE’s desire to welcome unique talent who want to help shape the future of gaming and entertainment was another deciding factor for me to join the company.”

“The creativity from SIE and its studios is one of the things that drew me in. The content that PlayStation Studios, along with our partners, do for the gaming industry, is best in class.”

With so much experience, it doesn’t take long to dive right into the thick of things. In her time at SIE, Stephanie Burns has already done work she’s incredibly proud of, specifically leaving a mark with mergers and acquisitions. “I think the work we’re doing in the M&A space is extremely interesting and exciting,” she says. “We’ve announced some recent acquisitions that will allow us to continue to grow by developing new games and IP that we want to be a part of the PlayStation portfolio.”

So, who is Stephanie Burns at her core? A quick way to get to know her is to learn  what she gets excited about. “There are two types of projects I have a passion for,” she says. “Doing something for the first time where there is no road map or blueprint for it, so we have to roll up our sleeves and really think creatively and problem solve for it. Sometimes it can be a bit daunting because we might not know where to start. But the reality is, we’re all smart and we’ll figure it out together. That’s something that I find exciting.”

“The second is working on a project that is going to make an impact for our customers,” she adds. “As lawyers, quite honestly, our ability to do that can be limited and that’s what also drew me to SIE and PlayStation. I wanted to be a part of a company where I can make an impact. SIE, along with the gaming industry, continues to evolve and grow and being a part of that is what excites me and gets me out of bed every day.”

“Know that you are smart. You’re eager. You’re capable. You’re a self-starter. You can do it!”

We’re always cultivating or seeking out talent and we know that many around the world aspire to work in a place like SIE. To those interested in getting into the video game industry, she says “Do something that you’re passionate about, regardless of whether you think you have the right experience. Because smart people learn it and figure it out. You’ve got to start somewhere. Don’t worry about whether you think you have the right expertise. Know that you are smart. You’re eager. You’re capable. You’re a self-starter. You can do it!”

Would you like to be part of Stephanie Burns’ global team that is helping build the next generation of entertainment and gaming? Check out our available open roles at PlayStation Careers.