Takeo Fukui (福井 威夫, Fukui Takeo, born November 28, 1944) is the former president and
CEO of
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. He is from
Tokyo,
Japan, though his mother gave birth to him in Hiroshima to escape intensifying air raids during
World War II. He graduated from
Waseda University with a bachelor's degree in Applied Chemistry. He began working at Honda in April 1969.
Career
Fukui worked on the CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine as his first project at Honda to reduce toxic exhaust emissions. The CVCC, which became the base for the
Honda Civic car, became the first vehicle to comply with the 1975
U.S. Clean Air Act without a catalytic converter. A motorsports fan, he joined Honda for its participation in the Formula One races, and many years later served as the representative for the Honda works team upon their first, and only, victory at the
2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.