Impel Expands into Automotive Aftermarket Industry to meet Growing Demand for AI-Powered Customer Lifecycle Management
Independent service industry veteran Lorie Sharp joins Impel to lead Aftermarket Operations
Syracuse, NY, January 10, 2024 – Impel, the global leader in AI-powered customer lifecycle management and digital merchandising for the automotive industry, announced today the hiring of Lorie Sharp as Managing Director, Aftermarket. Sharp brings extensive leadership experience in the independent repair and service industry, where she has successfully scaled software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies in hyper-growth, equity-backed environments, including Identifix (sold to Solera) and asTech (integrated with Kinderhook Industries). Most recently, Sharp served as Chief Executive Officer of KUKUI, a marketing platform provider for independent automotive repair businesses. Sharp joins Impel at a time of rapid growth, following the Company’s expansion into the specialty vehicle market and the establishment of direct operations in the UK and Australia announced earlier this year.
Sharp is a seasoned executive with nearly 25 years of experience delivering results across the automotive aftermarket industry. Over the last two decades, she has helped independent shop owners by providing software solutions that increase repair shop productivity, responsiveness, and profitability. Working with independent and franchised shop owners has given Sharp insight into the needs of the industry, as well as a unique understanding of the nuances and complexities that shop owners experience daily.
Following Impel’s successful launch of Service AI for dealership service operations, the Company has seen growing demand for its generative AI solutions from the independent service industry, which is primed for AI-powered automation. The automotive aftermarket industry is projected to be a nearly $535 billion dollar industry in 2024, with a forecasted growth rate of nearly 6% through 2026. The industry comprises over 500,000 individual businesses, including independent manufacturers, repair shops, distributors, marketers, and retailers. While customer retention is critical for independent service businesses, successfully generating customer loyalty requires multiple touchpoints and timely outreach across the vehicle ownership lifecycle. Because independent repair shops run on tight staffing and very lean infrastructure, they don’t have the time, resources, nor scale required to effectively conduct business outreach on a consistent basis. Impel’s generative conversational AI platform enables aftermarket shops to fully automate customer outreach, re-engagement, and scheduling by continuously mining service records and delivering personalized communications throughout the ownership lifecycle.
“Impel is uniquely positioned to bring intelligent automation to the automotive aftermarket given their standing as the de facto standard for enterprise-grade AI in automotive retail,” said Sharp. “Cutting-edge AI automation is a critical need in the industry to enable profitable long-term growth at scale in lockstep with the transformation occurring in automotive manufacturing and retail. Independent shop owners can now leverage Impel’s generative conversational AI to enhance business results without adding staff or additional processes. I’m thrilled to be joining Impel and I look forward to collaborating with the team to increase the efficiency, productivity, and results for automotive aftermarket businesses everywhere.”
“Impel continues to expand into new markets and verticals at a rapid pace, and the independent repair sector is an exciting new frontier with massive untapped potential that’s ripe for AI-powered lifecycle management applications and best-in-class operational solutions,” said Devin Daly, Impel CEO and Co-Founder. “Lorie is a proven leader with a track record of results in scaling hyper-growth businesses that deliver transformational solutions to the automotive aftermarket industry. Her keen insight, industry expertise, and deep operational acumen will be indispensable to our continued growth and success, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her to the team!”
About Impel
Impel offers automotive dealers, OEMs, and third-party marketplaces the industry’s most advanced AI-powered customer lifecycle management platform. The company’s end-to-end omnichannel solution leverages proprietary shopper behavioral data and generative conversational AI technology to deliver hyper-personalized experiences at every touchpoint. Impel’s fully integrated platform works seamlessly with all major website, CRM, and DMS platforms. To date, the company has delivered 15 billion shopper interactions, influencing more than $4 billion in Sales and Service revenue across 51 countries.
