PROFESSIONAL LUNCHEON
Osamu Suzuki
Chairman & CEO, Suzuki Motor Corporation

The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation

When Volkswagen AG announced it was buying a 19.9 percent stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. last month, Suzuki's outspoken CEO Osamu Suzuki made it clear he wouldn't be taking orders from anyone. "I don't want other folks telling me how to do things," Suzuki said.

And for both companies' sake, that might be a good policy. Suzuki, who turns 80 on Jan. 30, has been the company's CEO and chairman since June 2000. And with no clear successor in sight, he assumed the additional titles of president and COO in December 2008.

Under his watch, the company has consistently rated among the best-managed Japanese auto companies and has seen its sales and profits soar. As the rest of the auto industry crumbled last year in global financial crisis, Suzuki was one of the few companies still in the black.

Suzuki's latest coup is his tie up with VW. Europe's top automaker is paying $2.5 billion for a 19.9 percent stake in Suzuki. Suzuki, in turn, will invest up to half the proceeds for a 2.5 percent voting stake in VW. The deal is seen giving VW better access to rapidly expanding India, where Suzuki already owns more than half the auto market. It may also give Suzuki access to the technology its needs for hybrid and electric vehicles.

The folksy Suzuki patriarch will visit the club on Thursday, Jan. 21. He will talk about Suzuki's alliance strategies with foreign automobile manufacturers. Don't miss this opportunity to see one of the great names in the Japanese auto industry.

Sandwich: Crab, prawn, mayonnaise, avocado, pea-shoot, chive & tomato wrap
Hot Plate: Sirloin steak with caramelized onions, spinach, horseradish mashed potatoes, mushrooms & sauce

Osamu Suzuki, Chairman & CEO, Suzuki Motor Corporation