Osamu Suzuki, who led Suzuki Motor for over four decades and transformed the company into a global automotive leader, has passed away at the age of 94.
Suzuki Motor announced on Friday that Mr. Suzuki died on Wednesday in a hospital located in Shizuoka Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, due to malignant lymphoma.
Serving as president from 1978 to 2000, Mr. Suzuki held various top roles within the company throughout his nearly 50-year tenure, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in the automotive industry.
Under his leadership, Mr. Suzuki expanded the company from a small operation with annual sales of a few billion dollars to a dominant manufacturer of small vehicles and motorcycles, generating over $30 billion in revenue annually, particularly due to its strong presence in international markets such as India.
Born in 1930 in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Mr. Suzuki married into the founding family of the automaker in the late 1950s, adopting his wife's family name, a common practice among notable Japanese families.
He joined Suzuki Motor in 1958 and steadily advanced through the ranks, eventually becoming president two decades later.
During his leadership, Mr. Suzuki guided the company through partnerships with major automotive manufacturers like Volkswagen and General Motors, although these alliances ultimately dissolved. In recent years, the company has strengthened its relationship with Toyota Motor, Japan's leading automaker.
Rather than compete directly with larger Japanese automakers, Mr. Suzuki focused on developing small, affordable vehicles and identified growing overseas markets.
One of his significant achievements was establishing a foothold in India in the early 1980s through a collaboration with the Indian government. Suzuki's vehicles gained immense popularity, and the company’s Indian subsidiary now holds approximately 40 percent of the country's passenger car market.
In 2000, Mr. Suzuki transitioned from the presidency to a ceremonial chairman role, but he returned to an active leadership position in 2008 after the passing of his son-in-law, Hirotaka Ono.
After a scandal regarding improper fuel economy tests in 2016, Mr. Suzuki stepped down as chief executive but remained as chairman, passing on the presidency to his son, Toshihiro Suzuki, later that year.
Mr. Suzuki retired as chairman in 2021 but continued as a senior adviser, expressing his enthusiasm for remaining involved with the company. He had reportedly played golf numerous times the previous year.
Suzuki Motor did not disclose information regarding Mr. Suzuki's survivors. Toshihiro Suzuki currently serves as the president of the company.