AAPEX: WiAC names Advance VP Lauren Beaulieu as Woman of Year

BETHESDA, Md. — Women in Auto Care (WiAC), a community of the Auto Care Association, honored Lauren Beaulieu, vice president, professional marketing at Advance Auto Parts, as its 2020 Auto Care Women of the Year during its Virtual AAPEX Experience awards event, Nov. 3.

The Women of the Year Awards include the Auto Care Woman of the Year, Auto Care Woman of Excellence and Female Shop Owner of the Year, which annually recognize the outstanding female contributors making a difference in the automotive industry.

The WiAC named Danielle Sonnefeld, vice president, business development, N.A. Williams Co., as the Auto Care Woman of Excellence, and Kim Auernheimer, owner and business manager of Cool Springs Automotive L.L.C. (dba CS Automotive) in Brentwood, Tenn., as Female Shop Owner of the Year.

"The Women of the Year Awards honor three female leaders who have made a significant contribution in the auto care community," WiAC Chair Olivia Newton said.

"This year we are thrilled to recognize our outstanding winners in a new digital format as we continue to showcase the tremendous impact women are making in our industry."

The Woman of the Year is chosen based on her significant leadership and contributions to the auto care community throughout her career. The Female Shop Owner of the Year award is given to an outstanding woman who has a proven record of excellence in the automotive service industry and the Woman of Excellence award recipient is the Women in Auto Care associate who has provided recent outstanding contributions to the auto care industry.

Ms. Beaulieu is honored as a champion of diversity and launched the first team member network at Advance Auto in 2018. The Women In Motion team member network (WIMN) is a community that creates opportunities for the women of Advance to grow professionally in an inclusive environment. The network of over 500 women and men advocates professional growth and enables mentorship opportunities.

She has been an advocate for women in the industry by lending her voice when needed, opening the doors to opportunity and supporting career growth and development, the association said.

Ms. Sonnefeld volunteers her time to encourage, promote and support the next generation of leaders and has been a WiAC member since 2010, serving on its executive board from 2017-2020. During this time, she was an integral part of growing the scholarship program from less than $10,000 to more than $100,000 annually, the association said.

Ms. Sonnefeld also serves on the board of trustees for the University of the Aftermarket Foundation and is the co-chair of the scholarship program, which awards more than $600,000 in scholarships from over 40 organizations. She currently serves on the Auto Care Association's events committee and manufacturers' rep council.

Ms. Auernheimer, along with her husband, Rob, founded CS Automotive in 2006. The business now operates in a 6,400-sq.-ft., 10-bay repair shop.

"Ms. Auernheimer feels that she has the best employees and they all live each day with the focus of 'Everything we do, we do it the best we can!' not only in their quality of work, but in how they treat each other, their customers and their vendors. As a team, they work to improve and protect the image of the industry. Ms. Auernheimer has been honored to serve as a mentor to several shops throughout the United States," the association said.

She has written and developed training classes on systems and process, branding and time management. Ms. Auernheimer has taught courses at various trade events and participates in several industry podcasts.

"Through her roles as a mentor, trainer and speaker, Ms. Auernheimer believes that she is able to teach, encourage and assist shop owners in improving the financial and operational aspects of their business," the association said.

WiAC said it is dedicated to providing opportunities, education and career leadership to women in the auto care industry through conferences, networking, scholarships, education, data and awards, including:

• Annual Women's Leadership Conference, focused on professional development and offering several educational and networking opportunities;
• Scholarship program that grants scholarships to qualified high school and post-secondary female students;
• Mentor Program which develops mentor relationships based on individual goals, fit and experiences.