J.D. Power is an American data analytics, software, and consumer intelligence company. Founded in 1968, the company has been a pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic modeling capabilities that allow for better understanding of consumer behavior. The firm's business model has evolved to emphasize data and analytics and software products. Industry benchmarking studies are used to evaluate detailed consumer interactions and trends across the automotive, financial services, healthcare, home, insurance, technology, media and telecom, travel and hospitality, senior living, and utilities industries. The company was founded in 1968 by James David Power III. It is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, but has offices elsewhere in the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific. In March 2018, Dave Habiger was named president and CEO. Private equity firm Thoma Bravo, LLC announced it was acquiring J.D. Power in July 2019. The company announced a merger with Autodata Solutions, a provider of data and software for the automotive ecosystem, in December 2019. History J.D. Power was founded in 1968 by James David Power III. Power had previously worked in advertising and doing customer research for the Ford Motor Company, where he felt customer satisfaction data was too often overlooked. He later joined Marplan, and then McCulloch, a chainsaw manufacturer. He left his position at McCulloch and founded J.D. Power and Associates on April 1, 1968, working at first from his kitchen table. The company incorporated on February 7, 1969. The "associates" referred to in the firm's title were his wife, who assisted him with market research, and his children, who helped stuff envelopes. In 1973, the company first drew significant national attention when Julia P. Power, working from the results of customer surveys, discovered a design flaw in the O-rings of certain Mazda rotary engines. The report was then publicized by The Wall Street Journal and widely repeated in other outlets. In the following years, J.D. Power and Associates became particularly known for its automotive customer satisfaction rankings, while continuing to work in other areas such as food and computers. The firm created the first Dealer Attitude Study in 1976 and the U.S. Automotive Customer Satisfaction Index in 1981. J.D. Power's entry into the market of consumers surveys for personal computers, long distance providers, and cellular providers were not as successful as their automotive research. Subaru paid J.D. Power to mention the results of their ranking in the J.D. Power Awards