At the age of 94, Osamu Suzuki, former head of the Japanese automobile industry of the same name, has passed away.
The iconic figure who transformed Suzuki from a small company into a global force passed away on Christmas Day, the company he led for more than forty years announced. Suzuki was suffering from lymphoma.
Born Osamu Machuda in 1930, he married Shoko Suzuki, granddaughter of the “patriarch” of the business, adopting her surname from then on. It is a procedure common in Japan when there is no male heir.
A charismatic personality himself, Osamu Suzuki played a fundamental role in the development of the group which he joined as an executive in 1958. He went through various management positions, mainly taking over the light car category. In 1978 he became managing director of the entire group.
One of his biggest personal successes was Suzuki’s entry into the Indian market and partnership with the government.
In 2015, Suzuki transferred the title of CEO to his son, before permanently retiring from the chairmanship of the board in 2021.
