Okuda Hiroshi (奥田 碩), former chairman of Keidanren and former president and chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, has died. He was 93. He is remembered as a powerful business leader who continued to pursue change, serving as the head of Nikkeiren and Keidanren for a total of 7 years.
Okuda Hiroshi (奥田 碩), former chairman of Keidanren and former president and chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, has died, according to interviews with people familiar with the matter. Alongside a profile noting that he was 180 cm tall and held a dan rank in judo, he was portrayed as a forthright, larger-than-life leader.
During his tenure at Toyota, he overhauled the company’s conservative corporate culture and pursued an aggressive management strategy. He undertook major investments, including construction of a second plant in Europe, and accelerated the company’s overseas expansion. By bringing forward the launch of Prius sales, he became a driving force behind Toyota’s lead in the international competition to address environmental issues.
In his activities in the business community, he demonstrated charisma as a reform-minded leader. During his tenure as chairman of Nikkeiren, he advocated a “market economy with a human face” and showed a willingness to critically reassess restructuring policies. As chairman of Keidanren, he supported a private-sector-led growth model and was involved in policymaking as a private-sector member of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, as well as in proposals on constitutional issues.
His frank remarks sometimes stirred controversy, but he is said to have built relationships with those around him through his open personality and ability to embrace others.