James David Power III (May 30, 1931 – January 23, 2021) was the founder of the marketing firm 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. Initially, the “Associates” in the firm’s title were his own wife and children. In 1972, the company first drew national attention when Julie P. Power, David Power’s wife, discovered a design flaw in certain Mazda automobiles, which was then publicized by The Wall Street Journal. In the following years, J. D. Power and Associates became well known for its automotive customer satisfaction rankings. Power sold the company to McGraw-Hill in 2005 for an undisclosed amount of money. He also stepped down as chairman but remained active with strategic planning.
Cause of death is not known