In Memoriam: James David Power III, founder of J.D. Power
James David Power III, founder of automotive data analytics and consumer intelligence company J.D. Power, died on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. He was 89.
James David Power III
James David Power III, founder of automotive data analytics and consumer intelligence company J.D. Power, died on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. He was 89.
Power established J.D. Power from his home in Calabasas, Calif. on April 1, 1968, which he co-founded with his wife, Julie. The company was later incorporated on Feb. 7, 1969., in the same year J.D. Power also entered the auto market with its first client, Toyota, according to the company.
The company grew in prominence in 1973 when the Wall Street Journal reported on a design flaw in the rotary engines for certain Mazda vehicles that was based on data from one of the first J.D. Power independently funded surveys, according to the company. The firm gained national prominence for its Voice of the Customer data.
Prior to the creation of J.D. Power, he worked at Ford as a financial analyst and was later a marketing research consultant for General Motors’ Buick and GMC truck and coach divisions, according to Market Watch.
Later in 2005, McGraw Hill Financial purchased the company from Power. He was later inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame in 2014.
Power was born on May 30, 1931, in Worcester, Mass., and he earned an MBA at the University of Pennsylvania in 1959.
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