Press Release

J.D. Power and Skelmore Collaborate to Bring Customer Satisfaction Research to the Middle East

Capitalizing on Record Growth in the Region, Strategic Collaboration Combines Industry-Leading Customer Intelligence Measurement with Local Market Expertise to Improve Customer Satisfaction

NEW YORK AND DUBAI: 12 April 2016 — J.D. Power, a leading global provider of customer satisfaction research, has signed a letter of intent with Skelmore Consulting Group, a Dubai-based management consulting firm, to support the acceleration of growth and business opportunities for companies in the territory of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and in other markets in the Middle East.

J.D. Power and Skelmore have initial plans to launch solutions and quality metrics for the auto industry in the GCC. The two companies are exploring customized automotive solutions using J.D. Power’s extensive knowledge of measuring customer feedback and Skelmore’s local relationships and understanding of the GCC markets. Both companies are also evaluating the possibility of extending their collaborative efforts to include non-automotive sectors.

“The consumer marketplace has grown at such an exceptional rate in the Middle East," said Gerrit Kuyntjes, vice president and general manager, J.D. Power—Singapore. “As a wide range of industries—from automotive to banking and insurance to hospitality—continue to mature in the region, it will be critical that executives are armed with reliable benchmarks and prescient data points that can help them improve the quality of their products and services."

“We are very proud to have an opportunity to be associated with a company so widely recognized and respected in the automotive industry as J.D. Power,” said Amin Kadrie, chairman and CEO of Skelmore Consulting Group. “Coupled with Skelmore’s experience in the region and backed by a team of consulting experts, we believe that we can bring something exciting and game-changing to the GCC’s automotive industry.”

J.D. Power is a global market research company known for its independent consumer surveys of product and service quality, customer satisfaction and buyer behavior in more than a dozen industries. Established in 1968 and headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., J.D. Power has 17 locations serving North/South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

Skelmore Consulting Group, founded in 1996, is a dynamic and innovative company providing leading business and management consulting services to the broader Middle East and emerging markets.

Since its inception, Skelmore has established a successful record in providing and implementing turnaround strategies and introducing and building profitable brands in the fields of automotive, transport, hospitality, travel and tourism, healthcare, trading and retail, IT, and banking and finance.

Media Relations Contacts

Xingti Liu; J.D. Power Asia Pacific; Singapore; Phone 65-6733-8980; xingti.liu@jdpower.com.sg

Omar Kadrie, Skelmore Consulting Group; Phone 971 4 3395922; okadrie@skelmore.com

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About Skelmore Consulting Group  www.skelmore.com