Sony's Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida wins over investors with his strict program of spending cuts, downsizing and focused growth plans to revamp the Japanese company.

However, more tough decisions abound as the CFO urges each division in the electronics firm to be more accountable for its performance. 

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Insiders see this as a likely direction to be taken by the company in its new multi-year business plan to be revealed mid this week.

Before he was made CFO of Sony, Yoshida was the CEO of broadband provided So-net.

When Sony acquired Yoshida's company, the reserved man had reproached Sony's extravagant CEO Kazuo Hirai for having misplaced priorities.

According to a source, Yoshida advised Hirai to restructure the company instead of buying a firm it had previously spun off.

This caught Hirai's attention and Yoshida was made the chief strategy officer and soon the company CFO.

Yoshida has been making tough calls and bold moves with Sony. Under his tutelage the company brazenly let go of its 17-year old Vaoi personal computer division due to underperformance.

The CFO has also slashed thousands of jobs, amidst increasing investment on imaging sensors, a profitable segment and likely profit driver.

He has even pressured Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton to give "serious consideration to modifying the Entertainment executives' compensation plans," according to e-mails leaked by hackers in November. Lynton's co-chair Amy Pascal has since left the company on the heels of other leaked e-mails. 

Has all this been effective? Company earnings seem to say so as this month, Sony posted better-than-expected quarterly results and reversed a forecast operating loss to profit

Analysts also see Yoshida improving its mobile business, eyeing a possible sale but the company has not said anything on the matter.

The company stock has climbed above 70% since Yoshida stepped up as CFO in April of last year. It ended the week and Friday's session at 3,220.5 yen.

It is also worth noting that the conglomerate's 5-year credit default swaps-or the cost of insuring debt against default-have since halfved uder Yoshida.

"Sony has responded more quickly to the changing environment and competition," analyses Kelvin Ho, Fitch Ratings director, commenting that Yoshida has since injected a sense of urgency into the company.

However, Ho does not yet see the company returning to investment grade, maintaining Sony at a rate of BB-, citing the company's need for a broader base for profits.

Ho, among others, see the biggest challenge for Yoshida would be to secure long-term sales growth more than making Sony profitable.

Analysts believe the company's best growth opportunity to be in making better use of its PlayStation network to reel in a broader base of consumers, beyond the video game players, such as music and cinema-enthusiasts.

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