J.D. Power, a global leader in data analytics and consumer intelligence, today announced staffing changes within its automotive division that include the hiring of Elizabeth Krear as vice president of the new EV (electric vehicle) practice and Jack Dolan as vice president of product quality performance improvement. Long-time J.D. Power executive Dave Sargent is becoming vice president and head of the newly created connected vehicle practice and Kristin Kolodge is being promoted to fill the role vacated by Sargent as vice president and head of auto benchmarking and mobility development.

“The automotive industry is undergoing massive disruptions, and our customers are counting on us to help them make critical business decisions and seize opportunities,” said Doug Betts, president of the automotive division at J.D. Power. “Acquiring and redeploying talented leadership for these critical areas of vehicle electrification and connected vehicle data will help keep us on the leading edge of data analytics.”

Krear comes to J.D. Power from Stellantis, where she was the global head of product planning for Jeep Grand Wagoneer and electrified body-on-frame SUVs and trucks. Her focus was on planning and developing electrified platforms for the EV transition of this most important product family at Stellantis. “Elizabeth’s understanding of what is needed for manufacturers—and what is missing—to make crucial EV decisions will be invaluable in developing products and services to support our customers,” Betts said.

Dolan joins J.D. Power after most recently being chief engineer at Lordstown Motors. Prior to that, he headed up the North American operations for A2Mac1, an automotive technical data benchmarking company. He worked for many years in the engineering department at Stellantis and was the chief engineer for several successful vehicles. “Jack’s experience is extensive,” Betts said. ”This department serves a lot of clients and geographic territory, so Jack will work alongside Geoffrey Mortimer-Lamb to cover it.”

Sargent will lead the development of use cases and products utilizing connected vehicle data to create value for auto manufacturers and other companies inside the automotive space. “Dave’s reputation as one of the most well-known and trusted names in the industry, combined with his diverse knowledge across the entire space, will be a tremendous asset in creating value in this all-new area,” Betts said.

Kolodge is being promoted to a role she understands thoroughly after seven years in the auto quality practice. She created the Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study^SM and leads most mobility activities, including the Mobility Confidence Index Study^SM. “Kristin’s knowledge of vehicles, technology and benchmarks—and her experience of having been an engineering manager for a manufacturer—makes her uniquely qualified to guide this area of the business,” Betts said.

All four executives will report to Betts in this new structure.

To view online bios and headshots, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/all-bios.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

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