Women in Auto Care Leadership Conference

Opening Keynote Speaker

Known for creating transformational results through people-first leadership, Shari Pheasant works with high-performing businesses, corporate teams, and entrepreneurs to align people, purpose, and profit. As founder and CEO of Horsepower Strategies, she uses science-based, globally validated engagement tools to help organizations build trust, accountability, and cultures of belonging that accelerate results. Shari’s approach blends behavioral science with heart-centered leadership, showing teams how to leverage differences as strengths and protect cultures that thrive under pressure.

Her foundational “WHY” training helps leaders and teams understand what drives behavior — why people do what they do, how they choose to do it, and how to create environments where they can perform at their best. As an expert facilitator, Shari guides diverse stakeholder groups through complex dialogue, helping them collaborate across perspectives and make meaningful progress on what matters most.

Shari’s leadership journey began in restaurants and retail. By 18, she was already managing teams, and by her early 20s, she was a Regional Manager overseeing five stores, 120 employees, and $8.2 million in annual revenue. Her career evolved from corporate management to entrepreneurship, where she co-founded A Master Mechanic, an award-winning automotive service business. There, she learned firsthand that every business problem is a people problem in disguise — and every business solution starts with leadership growth.

That realization became the foundation for Horsepower Strategies, where Shari and her bench team now partner with leaders across industries to create sustainable engagement and measurable impact. Her clients range from national brands to privately held companies, including Standard Motor Products, NAPA, RepairPal, Ameriprise, Apple, and Donor Network West, among others.

Today, Shari is also an industry advocate and educator, speaking at national events such as AAPEX and Women in Auto Care. She served for seven years as a NAPA Business Development President and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Service Vehicle Experts Council for the Auto Care Association, helping shape the future of workforce leadership and innovation in the automotive aftermarket.

With over three decades of business experience, Shari is a Growth Curve Specialist, Talent Planner, Organizational Strategist, and Master Axiologist, as well as a graduate of Disney’s Employee Engagement program and a CADIA-certified DEI professional.

Her mission is clear: to develop People First leaders who can navigate complexity, lead with empathy, and build organizations where people feel heard. She helps leaders create environments that are safe to express differences, where accountability is desired rather than feared, and where individuals are eager to help others succeed. In these cultures, people are inspired to give their best — because they know they matter.