J. D. Power

James David Power III (May 30, 1931 – January 23, 2021) was an American businessman and the founder of the marketing firm J.D. Power (formerly J.D. Power and Associates).

Early life and education James David Power III was born on May 30, 1931, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was the oldest of four children.

After attending Saint Peter's High School, Power graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a Bachelor of Arts in 1953. He then served four years as a line officer aboard the Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Eastwind in the Arctic and Antarctic. He appeared briefly in a Disney documentary “Men Against The Arctic” about icebreakers. Prior to launching J.D. Power and Associates in 1968, Power worked as a marketing research executive for J. I. Case Company, a construction and farm equipment manufacturer, and was director of corporate planning for McCulloch Corporation, a Los Angeles-based engine manufacturer.

J.D. Power and Associates Power began conducting customer satisfaction research on April 1, 1968, as founder of the marketing information firm J.D. Power and Associates. Power started J.D. Power and Associates at the kitchen table with his family

Awards and philanthropy In 1992, Power was a recipient of the Automotive Hall of Fame's Distinguished Service Citation, awarded each year to seven of the industry's most accomplished leaders. In 2014, Power was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. He held honorary doctorate degrees from College of the Holy Cross, California Lutheran University, California State University, Northridge, and Misericordia College.

In January 2018, the Power family gave the College of the Holy Cross $3 million in support of the college's Center for Liberal Arts in the World, to be renamed the "J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World". He also was an adjunct professor of marketing at California State University, Northridge. Power also frequently spoke to top management and boards of directors of companies worldwide.

Personal life Power is 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.

His family currently resides in Westlake Village, California.