Japan Power List: Suzuki Roars In - Wall Street Journal (blog)

ReutersSuzuki Motor Corp Chairman and Chief Executive Osamu Suzuki speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Sept. 12.

Osamu Suzuki topped Japan’s corporate newsmaker rankings for the seven days ending Sep. 12, according to data compiled by Dow Jones Insight and edited by The Wall Street Journal.

But not for the first time in the Japan Power List, not entirely for happy reasons: the chairman of auto maker Suzuki Motor Corp. rode to the top of the chart because of a fairly acrimonious bust-up with Germany’s Volkswagen AG over future strategy and control.

After less than two years, a partnership involving a nearly $3 billion investment by the German auto maker in Suzuki – giving it just under 20% of the Japanese firm – has unraveled to the point where Suzuki unilaterally pulled the plug and asked VW to sell its holdings. But VW appears in no rush to do so, meaning Mr. Suzuki may linger in the corporate newsmaker rankings for some time.

Rounding out the top three were more familiar faces: Nissan Motor Corp.’s Carlos Ghosn and Sony Corp.’s Howard Stringer, rarely far from the top.

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