Tsuneji Matsuda
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
The eldest son of founder Jujiro Matsuda, he joined Toyo Kogyo in July 1927 and rose to Director in August 1938, Managing Director in July 1940 and Senior Managing Director in April 1944. He resigned from the board in August 1947, returned in July 1950 and was back as Senior Managing Director in September that year. Among the major shareholders for the fiscal year ended October 1958 he ranked seventh as an individual with 2.1%, a founding-family member who held both executive rank and shares.
Selection
He became President in December 1951. He had resigned from the board in August 1947 and returned in July 1950, and the promotion came just over a year after he resumed the post of Senior Managing Director. His predecessor was his father, founder Jujiro Matsuda. Sales for the fiscal year ended October 1952, just after he took office, were ¥5.3 billion, at a time when three-wheeled trucks were capturing demand from postwar reconstruction.
Initiatives
He expanded into four-wheelers by launching a small four-wheeled truck in April 1958, a kei passenger car in May 1960 and a compact passenger car in April 1964, and in February 1961 concluded a technology agreement on the rotary engine with West Germany's NSU and Wankel. In May 1967 the company released the Cosmo Sport, its first rotary-engine car. He pushed the mass production of the rotary engine and chose a path that avoided capital alliances with other companies. Sales grew from ¥5.3 billion in the fiscal year ended October 1952 to ¥203.9 billion in the FY ended October 1969.
Career
Career
Toyo Kogyo
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Dec 1951 | President |
| 1970 | Stepped down as President |