Auto Care Association Announces 2026 Impact Award Winners

ATLANTA - May 12, 2026 - The Auto Care Association today announced its 2026 Impact Award: Four for the Future ("Impact") award winners during the annual Auto Care Connect event currently taking place in Atlanta, Georgia. The annual Impact award honors four auto care industry professionals, under the age of 40, who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership or have made remarkable strides within the auto care industry.

The 2026 Impact Award winners are:

• Matt Fowler, Pivotree
• Brian Matthias, Dorman
• Lauren McCullough, Tromml
• Danni Withers, DENSO

These individuals have achieved success within their organizations through professionalism, hard work, dedication, and remarkable abilities. They are shining stars, examples for others, and exemplary representatives of our industry.

Matt Fowler

Matt Fowler is an account executive at Pivotree and a seasoned leader in the automotive aftermarket with over a decade of experience in digital transformation. His career has been defined by a commitment to modernizing the industry, beginning with his early work pioneering 360-degree imaging standards to enhance the digital consumer experience. Today, Fowler leverages that technical expertise to help organizations navigate the shift toward frictionless commerce and data-driven operational efficiency. As the past chairperson of the Young Auto Care Network (YANG), he remains a vocal advocate for a tech-forward aftermarket, dedicated to helping the industry bridge the gap between traditional excellence and the evolving digital landscape.

Brian Matthias

Brian Matthias has more than 15 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket across both traditional and performance channels. He currently leads the content syndication team at Dorman Products, where he plays a key role in advancing data quality, consistency, and scalability across the industry. Prior to Dorman, Brian spent five years with Turn5 Inc. in the performance aftermarket. He has been actively involved with the Automotive Content Professionals Network (ACPN), serving on its leadership council since 2022, and holds ACP and AAP certifications from Northwood University while working toward his MAAP designation. Brian is committed to advancing the automotive aftermarket by inspiring and elevating automotive content and data professionals and the work they deliver every day.

Lauren McCullough

Lauren McCullough is the founder and CEO of Tromml, a leading AI partner and solution provider for automotive aftermarket teams. Tromml's Minecart platform, a 2025 MEMA Innovation Award winner, helps sales teams capture frontline insights and turn them into action, building a new foundation for how the industry operates. Tromml is also a winner of the MEMA Startup Challenge. McCullough entered the aftermarket in 2019 after seeing firsthand how businesses were drowning in data but starving for insights. She built Tromml to close that gap, focusing on making data accessible, actionable, and usable for the people driving day-to-day decisions. She is a recognized industry speaker and educator, presenting at leading events across the aftermarket, and was honored as a Woman of Excellence in 2024.

Danni Withers

Danni Withers is a relationship-driven leader known for her willingness to step outside her comfort zone, take risks, and advocate for both her own growth and the growth of others. Withers is passionate about building meaningful connections, creating environments where people feel empowered to speak up, and leading with accountability, trust, and authenticity. In her role as senior account manager at DENSO Products and Services Americas, Withers manages major national accounts and drives strategic growth by combining data-driven decision making with strong relationship management. Beyond her day-to-day work, Danni is deeply committed to shaping a stronger future for the automotive industry through her involvement with Women in Auto Care, where she serves on the leadership council and works to remove barriers for the next generation.

The Auto Care Association's Impact Awards are presented and managed by the association's Marketing and Communications committee and the Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG).

To learn more about the Auto Care Association's annual scholarships, awards and other industry recognition opportunities currently open, visit autocare.org/awards.