JD Power CEO Finbarr O'Neill to Retire

Finbarr O'Neill, CEO and President of California-based auto research specialist JD Power, is to retire from the company next spring.

The firm was acquired by investment group XIO Group last year. O'Neill joined JD Power in 2008 as SVP and General Manager of International Operations, and was promoted to his current role a year later. He was previously Vice Chairman and CEO of dealership management software firm Reynolds and Reynolds, and he held positions as Co-Chairman, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales North America, and President and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. In addition, he is a past Board Chairman of the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers.

O'Neill will officially retire next March, and the firm's Board has commissioned executive search firm Egon Zehnder to identify his successor. He will remain with the company during the transition process, as the new CEO assumes the role, and after the transition O'Neill will act as a Senior Advisor to the company. XIO Group CEO Joseph Pacini thanked him for his leadership, and said that over the last year he had directed the firm to record profitability.

Carsten Geyer, XIO Group's Partner and Head of Europe, added: 'Fin has positioned the company for a great future through further digitalization, the acquisition of NAG (National Appraisal Guides) and top appointments including JD Power's new Chief Digital Officer, Bernardo Rodriguez, Senior VP of Automotive Doug Betts, and Senior VP of Data & Analytics Thomas King. Under Fin's leadership, JD Power has remained true to its motto as the 'voice of the consumer' and the best provider of data driven insights and solutions for companies and consumers across a multitude of industries'.

The firm, which was founded in 1968 and has twelve global offices, conducts customer satisfaction surveys, buyer behaviour analysis and product quality audits for clients in the automotive and other sectors, and is online at www.jdpower.com .