Since November 2023, Alyssa McGhee has been the Head of Regional Marketing North America at MAHLE Aftermarket, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of spare parts in original equipment quality – from engine components, filtration, and electronics through to thermal management, workshop equipment, and diagnostics.
McGhee started with the company in 2022 and sat down with Ratchet+Wrench to talk about her new role within MAHLE, her journey into the aftermarket, and her vision for MAHLE’s position in the industry from a visibility standpoint.
Ratchet+Wrench: Tell us about your background, Alyssa. How did you find your way into the aftermarket?
Alyssa McGhee: I would say I found myself in the aftermarket by chance. I moved to Detroit after school (and) worked in the furniture industry for a bit with La-Z-Boy. I worked on eCommerce and digital platforms for them and then I jumped over to Sweetwater's Coffee and Tea. That was a quick-service franchise based in Michigan. We had about 40 cafes across the country, and I assisted with all the marketing campaigns from ideation to execution standpoint. I found myself in the aftermarket (when) I met up with Ted Hughes, who was the current manager at the time for MAHLE. I was looking for a change and he introduced me to all the different facets of the automotive aftermarket. I always joke that you can only be in Detroit for so long before you end up in the automotive industry.
I fell in love with the people and passion of the aftermarket. It was something I hadn't experienced in my previous industries. Not only is it a big industry, but people stay here for a long time, which I enjoy. It's different than the other areas I had worked at before. Once you get in and meet people, it's an awesome place to be.
Ratchet+Wrench: What led you to MAHLE?
McGhee: After living in Detroit for a handful of years now, I knew I wanted to be in the automotive industry. I live in Farmington Hills and had driven past the MAHLE offices almost every day. I knew they were automotive, but I didn't know what they did. So, to be frank, it was a little bit of Google and a little bit of “Do they have openings?”; “What does this company do?” The idea of working with a global company was something I was looking for, and MAHLE was a great fit for that. The level of pride and expertise at MAHLE as a company was something that stood out to me. I've always worked with premium products, so it fit with where I was coming from in my background.
Ratchet+Wrench: Where is the meeting point between your skills and the aftermarket?
McGhee: I think the aftermarket is in a transition. I have always worked in digitally focused roles, so the digital expertise I had bridged a need when I stepped into the aftermarket and where the industry was going. My expertise spread anywhere from social, web, video, analytics, and content creation. I had experience with the whole gamut of digital products but after being in this role, I can say I know more about an engine, engine peripherals, and shop equipment than I ever thought I would.
Ratchet+Wrench: What is your role as head of marketing? What's a day in the life of the marketing manager at MAHLE like?
McGhee: My role with the company is overseeing our marketing, pricing, and category management teams. In addition to that, we're running promotions, both brand-wide and customer-specific, anything from a communications standpoint goes through our team. I work cross-functionally with our sales teams, not only in the U.S., but also in Mexico, Canada, and Germany.
My current role for MAHLE oversees two different divisions - our engine parts and peripherals such as filters and thermal management, as well as the service and shop solutions. This includes the marketing of all our shop solutions such as our ArcticPRO, FluidPRO, and ShopPRO portfolios as well as the BatteryPRO product line. It keeps my day-to-day exciting, and I am always growing and evolving and learning new industry trends by getting to work alongside a team of MAHLE experts.
Ratchet+Wrench: What would you say is your goal for the year?
McGhee: The demands on workshops are increasing massively with the rise of battery-electric and hybrid vehicles as well as internal combustion engines and hydrogen systems. As such, MAHLE is committed to remaining at the forefront of aftermarket innovation with solutions that shape future mobility. With electrification and thermal management as key cornerstones of our MAHLE 2030+ strategy, we are challenging ourselves as a company to stay on top of the latest trends and remain an ideal partner for commercial vehicle and passenger car workshops, dealers, and companies with their own fleet repair, even during the transformation to e-mobility.
Then also continually raising brand awareness. We have three different brands under the MAHLE name in North America—we have MAHLE, CLEVITE, and BEHR along with the shop solutions side offerings — and focusing on bringing brand awareness for all product lines under the umbrella of MAHLE is our ultimate goal. There's a lot of people that still only recognize us for one product line or segment and we strive to bridge that gap. So, bringing a full picture of who we are, the expertise that we have, and what we offer to the aftermarket is essential.
Ratchet+Wrench: What excites you about the aftermarket?
McGhee: I think there's a lot of shifting and change on the horizon for the aftermarket, which excites me. There's a lot of unknown right now within the industry, which is an opportunity to step into. Coming into the aftermarket, the people I get to work with are exciting. There are some incredible people in this industry, and the longer that you're around, the more people you get to know.
Ratchet+Wrench: What should the shop owner know about MAHLE’s commitment to helping them?
McGhee: I think it goes two-fold into the quality of our products and the technologies that we offer. We have been in the industry for over 100 years, so we have a lot of not only new technology, but it has been shaped by a lot of history and expertise that we have as a company to continue to perform at the top of our game. With our unique portfolio, we have a unique position to be that kind of one-stop for the technician and knowing that whether you need servicing equipment or need a set of gaskets or thermal management parts to go into a build, one company has the capacity to help solve two problems under one roof. The caliber and the technical expertise we have internally from a support standpoint as well, is a premium experience we can provide to the end user.
