AI-assisted summary
• Suzuki led the company for nearly 40 years, overseeing significant global expansion and a tenfold increase in sales.
• He joined Suzuki Motor in 1958 after marrying into the founding family and retired as CEO in 2015.
• Suzuki is credited with transforming the company from a primarily domestic manufacturer to a global automotive giant.

Osamu Suzuki, the man behind the success of Japanese automobile company Suzuki Motor, died on Christmas, the company said on Friday. He was 94.

Suzuki, who served as the CEO of Suzuki Motor from 1978 to 2015, died of malignant lymphoma, a type of cancer that occurs when white blood cells become cancerous and form lumps in the lymph nodes and organs.

Suzuki remained a senior advisor of the company until 2021, when he retired at age 91. His eldest son, Toshihiro Suzuki, is the company's current CEO.

Funeral services for Suzuki will be held privately for the family, who respectfully decline condolence visits and messages, monetary offerings, or floral tributes, the company said in a news release.

Who was Osamu Suzuki?

Suzuki was born on Jan. 30, 1930, in Gifu, a prefecture in central Honshu, Japan. He studied at Chuo University Law School in Tokyo before joining Suzuki Motor in 1958.

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Suzuki's joining of the company occurred after marrying Shoko Suzuki, the granddaughter of the Suzuki Motor patriarch, Michio Suzuki. At the time, Shoko was president of the company, according to the Suzuki Motor website.

Under Osamu Suzuki's leadership, the company established ventures in the United States, Australia, India, Pakistan, Spain, New Zealand, France, Germany, China, Canada, Hungary, Egypt, Vietnam, Italy, Thailand and Argentina, among others, according to Suzuki Motor.

According to CBS, the company's sales grew more than tenfold to about $19 billion in the 2000s under Suzuki's leadership.

The Suzuki Motor brand dates back to 1909, when Suzuki Loom Works was founded in Japan, according to Suzuki Motor. That's right. Before getting in the car business, the company manufactured looms.

The Suzuki company didn't dive into the automobile industry until 1955, with the debut of the Suzulight, a two-door mini-vehicle.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].