Iconic 50+ year old brand in hyper growth mode
Pros
If working for a brand with a strong reputation is important to you (as it is to me)-- J.D. Power offers that in spades. The name compels doors to open and attention to be paid in scenarios where the same message might go unnoticed or might be flat-out denied if presented by another brand or its employees. I have had exposure to almost every meaningful industry in the US and around the world because J.D. Power has a dedicated business unit for all of them-- so boredom or stagnation has never been an issue (to say the least). This also produces way more data and thought leadership content than any marketer could use in a lifetime. Marketing is a newer, dedicated department relative to the over 50-year history of the company. Even so, marketing is brought in by the business units as a trusted partner in many cases (some more than others). The company is in GROWTH mode... M&A is a constant, which keeps everyone super busy but I see that as a positive as someone who needs a steady stream of challenges and projects to thrive. The benefits are pretty outstanding in my opinion (work from anywhere in most cases, meetings free Friday's, unlimited time off, a few 4-day weekends during the summer, Master Class subscription, solid health and retirement, etc.). I've been here for going on 4 years now and many of my coworkers have been here for 10 or more years (through ownership changes, re-organizations, etc.) and I think that's a pretty telling statement in itself.
Cons
Being owned by private equity places a good deal of financial pressure on the sales and business units, which can lead to downward pressure on the brand and the people responsible for protecting it. Thankfully, there are policies and a fully supportive CEO and CMO in place to keep the independent and unbiased aspects of the brand as unwavering priorities. Certain industry business units tolerate and even reward toxic behavior if it drives revenue but those are VERY isolated, few, and far between. There are lots of "idea" people and very few people to action them WELL, which is exacerbated by the EC's continual messaging about "innovation", which translates practically to anyone with an unfiltered thought thinking they can come up with a product. The good news is that processes are starting to take shape to wrangle that species of mess.