Findlay VW Henderson GM earns designation on 40 Under 40

Findlay Volkswagen General Manager Melisa Eichbauer recently earned a place on the prestigious “40 Under 40” list that is published annually by Automotive News. The list represents the top 40 individuals across the United States that are impacting change in the retail automotive business.

Eichbauer’s entry into the car business actually started 15 years ago, when she took time away from college, where she was studying criminal justice, to apply for an entry-level position at a Volkswagen dealership. What was supposed to be a temporary break and distraction turned into a high-powered career.

With the birth of her daughter in 2015, Eichbauer found herself meeting a series of challenges commonly faced by other working moms.

“Working now had to meet a two-fold purpose,” she said. “It had to be worth it for me to be away from my daughter. I also wanted to show my daughter that if she works hard, she can be a leader in an industry where she may not be the traditional choice.”

Before assuming the role of general manager, Eichbauer held positions in service, finance and sales. She said she felt it was important to understand the inner workings of each department before running the entire dealership.

With her latest promotion, Eichbauer became Findlay Automotive Group’s first female general manager. Eichbauer is well suited to her new position, according to Justin Findlay, who originally hired her when he was the general manager of Findlay Volkswagen in Henderson.

“I’ll never forget interviewing Melisa over 15 years ago. She was young, bright-eyed, confident and ready to conquer the automotive world. Today, I understand why she had such confidence, even with the odds stacked against her. She has held almost every position on the variable side of the house, and she has excelled every step of the way,” he said.

“Melisa is now a very successful general manager at Findlay Volkswagen in Henderson and is a shining star within Findlay Automotive. Melisa’s competitive spirit and great leadership ability make her a very deserving recipient of this Automotive News 40 Under 40 selection. Her future is extremely bright, and we are very fortunate to have Melisa as a leader on our team,” Findlay added.