[1] Previously, he served as Chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America (SIEA), and executive vice president and COO of Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI).

After serving almost nine years he became president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan in October 2007, a position which he held until March 2010.

[4] In 2010, he was one of the founding members of Sony Network Entertainment International, serving as its executive vice president and COO.

[7][8] In March 2018, Layden's role shifted to focus solely on Worldwide Studios, to "provide platform-defining content that helps drive the growth of SIE.

[10] Journalists at the time believed this may have been due to a result of an internal power struggle with SIE President Jim Ryan over the further restructuring and globalization of SIE,[11] However, in September 2021, Layden stated he retired due to exhaustion, believing the launch of the PlayStation 5 was a "good time to put the pin in my legacy.