Osamu Suzuki, the charismatic former boss of Suzuki Motor Corp. who helped turn the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a globally competitive company, has died, the company said Friday. He was 94.
Suzuki was known for his candid remarks and friendliness, calling himself an “old guy from a small to mid-size company.” He became CEO of Suzuki in 1978 and was leading the company when it became the first Japanese automaker to start local production in India, where its cars proved hugely popular.
Born on January 30, 1930, as Osamu Matsuda, Suzuki worked in the banking industry after graduating from Tokyo’s Chuo University School of Law. He joined Suzuki Motor, founded in Hamamatsu, central Japan, in 1958, when he married the daughter of Shunzo Suzuki, then president of the company, who belonged to the company’s founding family. As is customary in such situations, Matsuda followed his wife’s maiden name.
In 1979, a year after becoming the fourth president of Suzuki Motor, he introduced an affordable minicar, which became a huge success and was promoted in global markets.
Under Suzuki’s leadership, the company’s sales grew more than tenfold to 3 trillion yen ($19 billion) in the 2000s.
Suzuki also led business tie-ups with other global leaders such as General Motors and Volkswagen AG in the 2000s. Amid intensifying competition and industrial transformation, Suzuki also formed a capital alliance with Toyota Motor Corp. in 2019 to co-develop self-driving vehicles.
While other Japanese automakers have expanded into the U. S. and Chinese markets, offering a wide range of vehicles, Suzuki has stuck to mini and compact cars, primarily in South and Southeast Asia.
Suzuki stressed the importance of understanding the grassroots level.
“Making quality smart products at low cost is the foundation of manufacturing,” Suzuki said in an interview with broadcaster NHK. “We can’t cut costs by sitting in the president’s office. That’s why I have to be in a factory to see the paintings and get ideas. “
Suzuki stepped down as chairman at the age of 85 in 2015, leaving the position to his son, Toshihiro Suzuki. He served as an advisor to the company after stepping down as president in 2021.
The company said Suzuki died Wednesday of malignant lymphoma.