2020 Honoree

Lauren Beaulieu developed a passion for the automotive industry while working for General Motors in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That passion has blossomed in the automotive aftermarket, where Beaulieu started as marketing manager for Autopart International in 2009 and now is vice president of Professional marketing for Advance Auto Parts.

While Beaulieu certainly is proud of what she’s accomplished in her career, she says she’s even prouder of her team’s accomplishments – particularly the team’s execution of the shift “from print and reaction to digital innovation” at Advance.

“It’s incredibly rewarding for me to watch my team grow and develop their skills,” Beaulieu says. “They have a lot to be proud of there.”

Beaulieu encourages women to network, develop their skills and always strive for continuous improvement. While it’s important for women to take the initiative to grow professionally, she also believes the industry can do more to engage with “the best and brightest” who might consider the aftermarket “a non-traditional career for women.”

“It may be not top of mind as women are being educated in the United States today,” Beaulieu says. “But I think it’s an incredibly rewarding career, and there are terrific opportunities for women. I think we could do a better job of helping women understand that this is an attractive, engaging, innovative industry that can offer a viable and rewarding career.”