Osamu Suzuki, Former Suzuki Motor Chairman, passes away at 94 due to lymphoma

Osamu Suzuki, the former Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corp, passed away at 94. Osamu Suzuki died of malignant lymphoma on December 25, according to a statement from his eldest son, Toshihiro Suzuki.

He further stated that the funeral was held according to Osamu Suzuki's wishes. In a statement, he wrote, “The funeral was held privately with close family members until the ashes were interred. We respectfully decline condolence ceremonies, perfumes, flowers, condolence telegrams, etc.”

Osamu Suzuki led the company for over forty years. He announced his retirement in 2021 at the age of 91.

He joined Suzuki Motor in 1958, became president in 1978, and assumed the role of chairman in 2000. His more than 28 years as president, across two terms, made him the longest-serving head of a global automaker.

In June 2015, Suzuki handed over the presidency to his son and continued as chairman and CEO for a year before stepping down as CEO following a fuel-economy misstatement.

During his tenure, the company solidified its position as the top maker of compact cars. He spearheaded the company's decision to enter the key Indian market in 1983. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, where the carmaker holds a majority stake, is India's top carmaker, selling every second car in the country.

Osamu and his start in Suzuki

Born on January 30, 1930, in Gero, he was the fourth son of a farming family.

As reported by Bloomberg, a March 2009 article in Nikkei BP magazine stated that he aspired to become a politician. He worked part-time as a junior high school teacher and night guard while completing his law degree at Chuo University in Tokyo. After graduating from Chuo University in 1953, he worked at a bank until his marriage led him to join the family business.

Osamu Suzuki, a former bank employee, entered the automotive industry through his arranged marriage to Shoko Suzuki, the granddaughter of Michio Suzuki, the founder of Suzuki Motor's predecessor, a loom manufacturer established in 1909.

Following Japanese custom, Osamu Suzuki took his wife’s surname since no male heirs were in the family business.

(With inputs from Reuters and Bloomberg)