Norio Ohga (大賀 典雄, Ōga Norio, January 29, 1930 – April 23, 2011), also spelled Norio Oga, was a Japanese businessperson who was the president and chairman of Sony Corporation. He is credited with spurring the development of the compact disc (CD)[1] as a commercially viable audio format.
His relationship with Sony began when he wrote a highly critical letter to Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo KK (also known as Totsuko and later as Sony), complaining about their tape recorder's many failings, which got him noticed by Masaru Ibuka, Akio Morita and other Totsuko executives. Because of his insight into music and technology, the company hired him as a part-time consultant.[3]
Ohga's knowledge of sound and electrical engineering continued to be an asset to Sony, which led to his appointments as executive director of Sony in 1964 at the age of 34 and president of CBS/Sony Records Inc. (currently Sony Music Entertainment Japan) in 1970, by the age of 40. These youthful appointments were unprecedented in the history of the Japanese company.[5]
In 1994, he succeeded co-founder Akio Morita as Sony chairman. The next year, he selected Nobuyuki Idei as the company's next president, a decision he later told author John Nathan appalled 99 out of 100 people at the company, and it led to a sweeping reorganisation of the company. Idei became co-CEO with Ohga in 1998, and sole CEO in 1999. In 2000, Ohga became semi-retired, staying chairman of the board while Idei became Executive chairman.
On November 7, 2001, Ohga collapsed onstage due to a cerebral hemorrhage while conducting an orchestra at the closing concert of the 4th Beijing Music Festival in Beijing. He later recovered his ability to speak and move after a three-month coma.
On his 73rd birthday in 2003, Ohga retired from the board and became Honorary chairman. He served as chairman of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.[8]
He died of multiple organ failure at a Tokyo hospital on April 23, 2011. He was 81 years old.
