Obituary: James David 'Dave' Power III

James David 'Dave' Power III, the founder and retired Chairman of automotive industry research specialist J.D. Power, died on January 23rd after a long-term illness. He was 89.

Born in 1931 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Power later graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1953, before spending four years as a line officer aboard the coast guard icebreaker USCGC Eastwind in both the Arctic and Antarctic. During his service, he made a brief appearance in the Disney documentary 'Men Against The Arctic'.

Power went on to earn an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and then took a position as a Financial Analyst at Ford Motor Company. He then joined MR agency Marplan as Marketing Research Consultant, working on the General Motors Buick and GMC truck and coach division accounts; served as Marketing Research Executive for construction and farm equipment manufacturer J.I. Case Company; and was Director of Corporate Planning for engine manufacturer McCulloch Corporation.

In 1968, he and his wife Julie launched their own market research agency, J.D. Power and Associates, from their kitchen table at home in California. In the years that followed, the company became best known for its automotive customer satisfaction rankings, and for data and insights provided to every major automotive manufacturer. In time, Power also expanded the business into the financial services, healthcare, home, insurance, technology, media and telecom, travel and hospitality, and utilities industries.

Recognizing J.D. Power and Associates' contribution to the automotive sector, in 1992, Power received the Automotive Hall of Fame's Distinguished Service Citation, awarded each year to the industry's most accomplished leaders; and in 2014 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame itself. Power also became the subject of Sarah Morgans and Bill Thorness' book: Power: How J. D. Power III Became the Auto Industry's Adviser, Confessor, and Eyewitness to History.

He stepped back from day-to-day leadership of the company in 2005, when the business was sold to educational publisher McGraw-Hill, but stayed involved in an advisory capacity for many years. In 2016, J.D. Power and Associates, which is now headquartered in Troy, Michigan, with offices in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, was acquired by global investment firm XIO Group for $1.1bn in cash; and three years later it was sold to by private equity investment firm Thoma Bravo for an undisclosed sum.

Dave Habiger, current President and CEO of J.D. Power, comments: 'The world has lost a true pioneer and we have lost a visionary spirit that has continued to inspire, inform and galvanize our company's growth for over 50 years. Those who were lucky enough to have worked closely with Dave remember a larger-than-life creative presence who encouraged constant innovation and close collaboration with a relentless focus on the values of independence, integrity and quality. He will be deeply missed by all of us, but his spirit will live on in the work we will carry forward each day'.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.