Industry Leader Jay Burkhart Joins AASA as Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Highly respected industry leader Jay Burkhart has accepted the position of vice president and chief strategy officer for the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).  

“Jay’s broad business experience and demonstrated success have earned him a well-deserved position as a leader in the automotive aftermarket,” said Bill Long, president and COO of AASA. “He is renowned for his ability to develop and execute strategic initiatives and identify those issues that are relevant to the supplier community now and in the future, which makes him an excellent addition to the AASA senior management team.”

Bill Hanvey, senior vice president of AASA commented, “I have seen first-hand the results of Jay’s strategic thinking. I am looking forward to working with him to further increase AASA’s positon as a thought leader in the automotive aftermarket.”

Burkhart’s responsibilities in his new role at AASA will be instrumental in developing the association’s short and long term strategic roadmap and providing executive leadership and insight to the industry analysis team. Burkhart’s international expertise will benefit AASA, including his leadership of the China Aftermarket Forum by supporting member companies as they navigate and expand in the country’s booming aftermarket. 

Burkhart comes to AASA following a 16-year career at Federal-Mogul, where he most recently served as a senior vice president at Federal-Mogul Motorparts. He began his aftermarket career in 1989 at Tenneco Inc., where he reached the position of vice president of global marketing prior to joining Federal-Mogul in 1998. Burkhart’s earlier career included 11 years of consumer package goods (CPG) experience at Beatrice Corp. (now ConAgra) and Borden Inc.

He has been an active volunteer on many industry boards and organizations, including the AASA Board of Governors (2009 – 2011); the Auto Service Excellence (ASE) board (2000 – 2003); and chairman of the Car Care Campaign of the Auto Care Association (2006 – 2008). Burkhart received the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA) “Pursuit of Excellence” award in 2007 and the 2006 Education Award, Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket School of Management.

Burkhart earned his MBA and his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.

About AASA

AASA (www.aftermarketsuppliers.org) exclusively serves manufacturers of aftermarket components, tools and equipment, and related products which support 710,000 employees in the United States. AASA is a recognized industry change agent – promoting a collaborative industry environment, providing a forum to address issues and serving as a valued resource for members. AASA is the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). “AASA, The Voice for the Automotive Aftermarket Supplier Industry”