JD Power Slashes Staff Numbers in Toronto

US-based auto research specialist JD Power and Associates has slashed its headcount in Canada, according to local press, as part of a move to transfer client business to its operations in Singapore and Detroit.

An editorial in the Toronto Star says the company has recently made a number of employees redundant, including Richard Cooper, VP of its Canada and Latin America operations, who had worked for the firm since 1996.

JD Power and Associates' VP of Corporate Communications Peter Marlow (pictured) would not disclose the number of cuts made in Canada, but said that remaining staff will focus on sales and servicing clients.

'We are trying to get away from creating silos in different parts of the world by shifting to a more unified approach to our research,' Marlow stated. 'Among other things, it will help us with common global metrics.'

Web site: www.jdpower.com .