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Yataro Iwasaki founded and led Mitsubishi from 1870 to 1885.
He started with three leased steamships and built a shipping empire that carried cargo throughout East Asia.
Under his direction, Mitsubishi acquired copper mines, opened shipyards, and established Japan's first marine insurance company.
When he died in 1885, Mitsubishi employed over 3,000 people across shipping, mining, and financial services—making it one of Japan's largest business groups.
From 1885 to 1894, Yanosuke Iwasaki launched new ventures in mining, banking, insurance, and warehousing.
He built upon its existing foundation to establish specialized Mitsubishi subsidiaries that dominated their markets.
During his presidency from 1894 to 1916, Hisaya Iwasaki expanded Mitsubishi beyond shipping into mining, banking, and shipbuilding.
He acquired copper mines, launched a banking division, and established major shipyards in Nagasaki.
Koyata Iwasaki led Mitsubishi from 1916 to 1945, reshaping the company by splitting its divisions into independent firms.
He reformed Mitsubishi's structure, introducing modern management practices.
His values remain foundational principles across today's Mitsubishi companies, even after World War II forced the conglomerate's breakup.
The US military broke up Mitsubishi in 1945 to weaken Japan's industrial power.
The company lost its name and three-diamond logo until 1954, when separate Mitsubishi firms could reunite.
From 1954 to 1960, Takagaki rebuilt Mitsubishi Shoji by expanding trade operations and instilling clear business principles.
As president, he focused on responsible corporate practices while pursuing international growth opportunities during Japan's post-war economic recovery.
During his 1960-1970 presidency of Mitsubishi Shoji, Kiyohiko Sho drove the company's expansion across Japan and overseas.
His strategy centered on technology partnerships and major international contracts.
As MMC president from 1970 to 1973, Yuji Sato expanded the company's vehicle production and dealer network while operating under Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' ownership.
Tomio Kubo led Mitsubishi Motors from 1973 to 1979, establishing the company's first major international partnerships.
He secured a deal with Chrysler that brought the Galant sedan to American buyers and created Colt dealerships across European cities.
As MMC president from 1979-1981, Yoshitoshi Sone upgraded the company's manufacturing processes and expanded its product line.
He introduced computer systems for inventory tracking and shifted production toward fuel-efficient vehicles in response to rising oil prices.
Under his leadership, MMC opened two assembly plants and launched the Mitsubishi Tredia sedan.
As president of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation from 1981 to 1983, Masao Suzuki led the company's expansion into international markets and oversaw the launch of new vehicle models.
MMC strengthened its partnerships with Chrysler Corporation and developed its manufacturing capabilities in Southeast Asia.
As MMC president (1983-1989), Tate launched new car models, expanded factory capacity, and formed partnerships with Chrysler and Hyundai.
Under his leadership, MMC's annual vehicle production grew from 750,000 to over 1 million units.
As MMC's president from 1989 to 1995, Hirokazu Nakamura expanded the company's international manufacturing partnerships and launched new vehicle models in Asian and European markets.
His tenure saw the opening of production facilities in Thailand and the Netherlands.
Minoru Makihara led Mitsubishi Corporation from 1992 to 1998 as president, then as chairman until 2004.
Born in London and educated at Harvard, he strengthened Mitsubishi's international presence by securing the 2000 partnership with DaimlerChrysler, where Mitsubishi Motors sold a 34% stake to the German automaker.
Yorihiko Kojima led Mitsubishi Corporation as President from 2004 to 2010, then served as Board Chairman.
During his tenure, the company expanded its global business operations.
Ken Kobayashi led Mitsubishi Corporation from 2010 to 2016.
He expanded the company's reach into electric vehicles, self-driving technology, and renewable energy.
His strategy centered on building partnerships with both Japanese and international companies to enter these new markets.
He repositioned Mitsubishi to compete in emerging industries while maintaining its traditional trading operations.
Takehiko Kakiuchi led Mitsubishi Corporation as CEO from 2016 to 2022.
He directed the company's investments in renewable energy projects and set specific emissions reduction targets.
He also implemented digital systems to analyze operational data across Mitsubishi's divisions.
Katsuya Nakanishi became CEO of Mitsubishi Corporation in April 2022.
Under his stewardship, the company has expanded its copper mining operations and renewable energy projects while streamlining internal collaboration between divisions.
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