Former Toyota President Hiroshi Okuda Dies At 93

Former President and Chairman of Japanese automotive giant, Toyota Motor Corporation, Hiroshi Okuda, has passed away at the age of 93.

The Japanese vehicle manufacturer confirmed his passing on Wednesday, though specific details regarding the cause of death were not immediately made public.

Okuda, who assumed leadership of the automaker in 1995, made corporate history as the first executive outside Toyota’s founding family to head the company in several decades.

He is widely credited with transforming Toyota from a conservative domestic brand into a global industry leader. Under his aggressive expansion strategy, the company established manufacturing plants across the world, eventually overtaking General Motors to become the world’s largest carmaker by sales volume.

His most notable legacy remains the commercial launch of the Toyota Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid electric gasoline vehicle, alongside popular commercial models like the RAV4 SUV.

Beyond his corporate career, Okuda served as a top economic adviser to the Japanese government and headed Keidanren, Japan’s influential business federation.