丰田汽车前首席执行官奥田碕于周三去世，享年93岁[1]。奥田在1995年至2006年间担任丰田总裁和董事长[1]，在其长达45年的丰田职业生涯中推动了这家日本汽车制造商的全球扩张[1]。
在奥田的领导下，丰田完成了多项重要创新。他主持开发了混合动力车普锐斯，该车型于1997年推出[1]，成为丰田环保技术的标志性产品。奥田曾于2005年表示："当事情进展顺利时，公司必须改变。在事情开始恶化后才试图改变是没有意义的。"[1]
奥田毕业于东京一桥大学商学院[1]，曾担任日本经济团体连合会主席、日本汽车工业协会主席等多个重要职位[1]。2007年，当奥田担任丰田董事顾问时，丰田首次在董事会中增加了美国人吉姆·普雷斯[1]。
Hiroshi Okuda, the former president and chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation who is credited with guiding the Japanese automaker's rise to global prominence, died on Wednesday at age 93 [1]. Okuda served as Toyota's president and chairman from 1995 to 2006, during a 45-year career with the company that cemented his legacy in automotive history [1].
During his tenure, Okuda championed the development of the Prius hybrid vehicle, which launched in 1997 and became a cornerstone of Toyota's environmental innovation strategy [1]. He also spearheaded the company's international expansion, establishing Toyota as a major player in markets worldwide [1]. In 2007, while serving as an advisory director, Okuda was part of Toyota's leadership when the company appointed Jim Press, an American, to its board of directors—a notable step in diversifying the company's governance [1].
Beyond his automotive career, Okuda held prominent positions in Japan's business community, including serving as chairman of the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations and the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association [1]. A 1955 graduate of the Hitotsubashi University School of Commerce in Tokyo, Okuda articulated his management philosophy in a 2005 statement: "When things are going well, the company must change. It makes no sense to try to change after things have begun to deteriorate" [1].