Impel, an artifical intelligence-powered customer life cycle management and digital merchandising for the automotive industry, hired Lorie Sharp as managing director, aftermarket.

Sharp brings extensive leadership experience in the independent repair and service industry, where she has scaled software-as-a-service  companies in hyper-growth, equity-backed environments, including Identifix (sold to Solera) and asTech (integrated with Kinderhook Industries). Most recently, she served as CEO 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 establishment of direct operations in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Sharp has 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 to increase repair shop productivity, responsiveness and profitability.

Following Impel’s 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. While customer retention is critical for independent service businesses, generating customer loyalty requires multiple touchpoints and timely outreach across the vehicle ownership lifecycle. Because independent repair shops run on tight staffing and lean infrastructure, they don’t have the time, resources or scale required to effectively conduct business outreach consistently. Impel’s generative conversational AI platform enables after-market shops to 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,” Sharp said. “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.”