Former Suzuki Motor Chairman Osamu Suzuki Passes Away at 94 After Prolonged Illness

Former Suzuki Motor Corp's Chairma Osamu Suzuki passed away. He was 94. Suzuki died of lymphoma on Dec. 25, the company said in a statement. 

Born Osamu Matsuda, Suzuki married into the family that gave the Hamamatsu, Japan-based automaker its name. During his long tenure, he formed partnerships with General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG to sell vehicles in North America and Europe and leveraged Suzuki Motor’s expertise in small cars to build a dominant market share in India.

“If I were to listen to everybody, it would make things too slow,” Suzuki said of his leadership philosophy in “I’m a Small-Business Boss,” a Japanese-language memoir published in 2009. “Never stop, or else you lose.” 

Suzuki’s more than 28 years as president across two terms made him the longest-serving head of a global automaker. He passed the presidency to his son in June 2015 and assumed a role as chairman and chief executive officer, a dual title he held onto for a year before stepping down as CEO.