Suzuki’s Chairman waves goodbye after four decades of service

Suzuki Motor Corp’s Chairman, Osamu Suzuki announced his retirement at the age of 91 years. The chairman will vacate his position in June, stepping aside to allow a new generation to lead the company.

The official thought behind the decision goes after a motive. The current chairman wants to imbibe a fresh sense of leadership and understanding to navigate the market through the shift towards electrification and match the competition in the space. 

To fill up the gap left behind the current chairman Osamu Suzuki, the position will be managed by his son Toshihiro Suzuki. The younger Suzuki is expected to take over the reins of the Japanese automaker.

Talking of the upcoming chairperson Osamu’s son, Toshihiro Suzuki is currently holding the position of the CEO in the company. Previously, Toshihiro was appointed as a COO in 2015. Later the following year, the younger Suzuki was announced as the CEO, after Osamu Suzuki stepped down from the brand’s use of incorrect methods for calculating fuel economy.

Further, in an official briefing, Toshihiro Suzuki commented that the company needed to answer the automobile sector’s recent push towards lower emissions. "Carbon neutral is the focus now. Suzuki must not fall behind this global trend," he commented. 

Interestingly, the announcement from the house of Japan’s fourth-largest automaker is considered to be a quick move as the news comes in within a week after Honda Motor appointed a new CEO. 

Carmakers, particularly the mass manufactures like Suzuki, are noticed to be at a greater disadvantage as consumers shift towards EVs. Suzuki is considered to be at a disadvantage as the cost of developing such platforms is not their forte. 

While the automaker, along with multiple brands like Mazda and Subaru, has formed an alliance with Toyota to reduce costs on manufacturing and development, they are also planning activities for EV’s future. The automaker is aimed to invest one trillion yen for the shift of electrification over five years. 

Lastly, Osamu will continue to be a senior advisor in the firm, post the end of one of the longest runs as a chairman. 

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