Osamu Suzuki, the man responsible for Suzuki Motor’s success, passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 94, the company announced on Friday. He died after battling malignant lymphoma, a type of cancer affecting white blood cells and causing lumps in the lymph nodes and other organs. Suzuki led the company as CEO from 1978 to 2015 and continued as a senior advisor until 2021, retiring at the age of 91. His eldest son, Toshihiro Suzuki, is the current CEO of Suzuki Motor. The company stated that funeral arrangements will be private for the family, who have requested no condolence visits, messages, monetary donations, or floral tributes.
Osamu Suzuki was born on January 30, 1930, in Gifu, a prefecture located in central Honshu, Japan. He attended Chuo University Law School in Tokyo before starting his career at Suzuki Motor in 1958.
Suzuki joined Suzuki Motor after marrying Shoko Suzuki, the granddaughter of the company’s founder, Michio Suzuki. At the time, Shoko was serving as the president of the company.
During Osamu Suzuki’s leadership, the company expanded its operations to various countries, including the United States, Australia, India, Pakistan, Spain, New Zealand, France, Germany, China, Canada, Hungary, Egypt, Vietnam, Italy, Thailand, and Argentina, as stated by Suzuki Motor. Under his guidance, the company’s sales grew significantly, increasing more than tenfold to approximately $19 billion in the 2000s, according to CBS.
The Suzuki Motor brand has its origins in 1909, when Suzuki Loom Works was established in Japan, as noted by Suzuki Motor. Initially, the company focused on producing looms before venturing into the automobile industry. It wasn’t until 1955 that Suzuki entered the car market, launching the Suzulight, a two-door mini-vehicle.