Osamu Suzuki, the visionary who transformed Suzuki Motor from a small-car specialist into a global brand, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 94 after battling cancer, the company announced on Friday.
During his remarkable four-decade leadership, which lasted until 2021, Suzuki Motor’s sales increased more than tenfold.
Born on January 30, 1930, in Japan’s Gifu region, Osamu Suzuki married into the company’s founding family and assumed the role of president in 1978.
Referring to himself as an “old man at a small business,” he concentrated on producing lightweight “kei” cars, which gained popularity for their fuel efficiency and ease of use.
He was also instrumental in forming international alliances to expand the company’s global reach. Suzuki Motor collaborated with major players like General Motors and Volkswagen and entered into a capital partnership with Toyota in 2019.
One of his most notable achievements was the company’s expansion in India, where its subsidiary now dominates the market.
By the time he retired as chairman in 2021, Suzuki Motor’s sales had reached 3.18 trillion yen ($20 billion), a significant leap from the 323 billion yen recorded when he became president in 1978, as reported by the Nikkei Shimbun business daily.