2022 Impact Award Winner Spotlight: Elle Lawhead

How many years have you been in the aftermarket industry? How old were you when you first got involved, and what piqued your interest in the industry? How did you get your start in the aftermarket?  

In January, I will hit seven years in the industry. I was 25 when I first got involved in the automotive industry via a college friend. She invited me to play on the AutoZone kickball team and after a few games (and some fantastic negotiation tactics) she and some teammates convinced me that automotive, and AutoZone were where I should look.  

What are your "words to live by" or motto? 

“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.” – Maya Angelou 

Describe your duties in your current role. 

I am currently the director, merchandising for the starting, charging and major repair team at AutoZone. I am responsible for/lead a strong team of category managers and assistant category managers. We call ourselves “the village” as that is what it takes to execute flawlessly, to grow and develop as a team, to innovate and to learn new perspectives! In any given day we work through vendor negotiations, cost savings, pricing and promotions, commercial, training and inventory as the subject matter experts within our categories.   

What is your proudest professional accomplishment so far? 

I am currently the vice chair of Women in Auto Care and Community Champion for AutoZone’s business resource group (BRG) AZ WIN. Within both committees I am most proud of the impact that we’ve made on the lives of females within our industry, those interested in joining our industry and those that didn’t even know that our industry was an option to them! This year Women in Auto Care achieved the $1M mark in scholarships offered to females interested in trade school(!!). Over the past few years AZ WIN has successfully educated more than 10,000 young girls through AutoZone’s partnership with the Girl Scouts. At this event we teach basic car care maintenance to attendees while also exposing them to the wonders of our industry! I am truly most proud of these two organizations and the impact we’ve made. 

To learn more about the ACE Industry Awards, click here.