The largest study of its type in the UK, Driver Power is to be developed into a stand-alone brand for the publishing company. It will include establishing a series of new surveys covering various aspects of vehicle ownership for both cars and LCVs.

Walters (pictured) was previously vice-president of global data programs at JATO Dynamics and before that he spent 15 years at J.D. Power where he became vice-president and senior director of EMEA.

“The Driver Power franchise presents a tremendous opportunity to bring the voice of the customer to life for automotive manufacturers, suppliers and retailers,” he said.

Driver Power started in 2002 as a paper-based survey asking readers of Auto Express magazine what they thought of their car and their dealer before becoming web-based.