Konosuke Matsushita

Panasonic: 250-year plan, divisional structure

Founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (now Panasonic), established in 1918. Introduced Japan's first divisional management structure in 1933, decentralising accountability across product lines. Articulated a 250-year corporate plan rooted in the belief that a company's purpose is to serve society by eliminating poverty through productive enterprise.