Kiyoshi Kawashima
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
In October 1973 he became President of Honda Motor at 45. He did not belong to the founding family. His appointment came after Soichiro Honda rejected hereditary succession, saying Honda Motor belonged not to the Honda family but to its shareholders and to society. He had no shareholding behind him either; in the fiscal year ended February 1975, after he took office, the top shareholders were Honda Kosan, Mitsubishi Bank and Mitsubishi Trust Bank, and the founder's name as an individual did not appear near the top.
Selection
His predecessor Soichiro Honda, 66, and Executive Vice President Takeo Fujisawa, 62, both stepped back from the front line of management together in October 1973. For about 20 years the two had held to a policy of resigning at the best moment without handing the company to family members. Around 1970 they had divided representative authority among four Senior Managing Directors, laying the groundwork for succession. The change came before results deteriorated: in the fiscal year ended February 1973, just before, non-consolidated net sales were ¥327.7 billion and ordinary income ¥18.3 billion.
Initiatives
In 1977, Japanese passenger car exports to the United States broke the previous year's all-time record, and pressure for import restrictions mounted. In March 1978, Honda became the first Japanese automaker to set up a U.S. company, Honda of America Manufacturing. In Marysville, Ohio, a motorcycle plant with annual capacity of 60,000 units started in 1979 and an Accord plant in 1982. Annual automobile capacity later reached 360,000 units, with $1.3 billion invested in four-wheelers alone and employees reaching 5,300. In February 1980 the sales finance company American Honda Finance Corporation was established.
Career
Career
Honda Motor
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Oct 1973 | President |
| Oct 1983 | Stepped down as President |
| Aug 1992 | Supreme Advisor |