Osamu Suzuki served as the CEO of Suzuki Motor from 1978 to 2015. He remained a senior advisor of the company until 2021, when he retired at age 91.

He built Suzuki Motor into a Japanese global brand making small vehicles and motorcycles. Entering India’s market in the 1980s was one of his early successes.

Osamu Suzuki, the charismatic former boss of Suzuki Motor Corp. who helped turn the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a globally competitive company, has died, the company said Friday. He was 94.