Auto Remarketing is recognizing the 2026 Women in Retail honorees in the July edition of the magazine and will be posting Q&As with each of these outstanding leaders on the website. Next up, in alphabetical order by first name, is Melisa Eichbauer, general manager at Findlay Volkswagen.

The Women in Retail program is presented by CarGurus.


What prompted/inspired you to join the auto industry and what do you enjoy most about it?
I came into automotive almost by chance during a gap year, simply looking to earn income, but I quickly discovered something unexpected: I genuinely loved it.

Helping customers navigate one of the biggest purchases of their lives gave me real purpose, and closing deals felt like solving puzzles in real time, where every customer, every situation, and every set of numbers required a different approach.

What kept me here is the industry itself. Automotive is uniquely resilient, it weathers economic shifts, adapts to new technology, and reinvents itself without losing its core: people helping people make important decisions. That spirit of reinvention mirrors what I try to bring to my team every day.

Along the way, I’ve made it a priority to open doors for others, especially women entering or growing within this industry because the same sense of belonging and encouragement that shaped my journey should be available to everyone willing to do the work.

What started as a temporary solution has become a genuine career passion, and I am honored to be recognized among the women helping define what retail automotive looks like next.

What is the top trend you’re watching in the used-car industry this year?
The trend I’m watching most closely is honestly one I find really exciting — the rise of the value-conscious buyer. Customers today are sharper than ever. They’ve been through the inventory craziness, the above-market pricing, all of it, and it’s changed how they shop in a permanent way.

They show up informed, they show up with questions, and honestly? I respect that.

What it means for us as dealers is that the market is no longer doing the heavy lifting. The stores that are winning right now are the ones investing in great people, clean processes, and a buying experience that actually feels good for the customer.

And that’s the part that gets me fired up, because when you build the right culture and the right team, that’s where the magic happens. People want to buy from people they trust, and I think we’re in a moment where that has never mattered more.

What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career?
The accomplishment I’m most proud of is becoming the first female general manager in our auto group’s history. That distinction means the world to me, not just personally, but because of what I hope it represents for other women watching from within our organization and our industry.

What makes me most proud isn’t just earning the role, it’s navigating it fully. I’m showing up every day as a competitive, committed general manager while also showing up as a present, engaged wife and mother. Those things are not in conflict, and I think it’s important for people to see that lived out in real life.

I won’t pretend it’s always easy, but I believe that when women see someone holding all of those things at once without apologizing for any of them, it quietly gives someone else permission to want the same. That matters to me just as much as the title.

What book, film or song has inspired you personally or professionally?
I have a few that immediately come to mind, and honestly they each speak to a different part of who I am.  “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek shaped how I think about my responsibility to my team. The idea that true leadership means creating safety and putting your people first before results, that lives in how I try to show up every single day.

Matthew McConaughey’s “Green Lights” reminded me that the detours in life, including an accidental start in automotive, aren’t setbacks — they’re part of the story.

And “On the Basis of Sex,” Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s story, is one I come back to often. She didn’t just push through barriers, she did it with grace, preparation, and an unshakeable belief that the work would speak for itself. As the first female GM in my group, that resonates deeply.

Who is someone who has inspired you personally or professionally?
Inspiration has genuinely come from so many places throughout my life and career, but one person I find myself reflecting on often is my high school teacher, SGM Dement.

He was the kind of educator who saw something in you before you saw it in yourself. Through his teaching I learned what real leadership looks like, not the kind that demands respect, but the kind that earns it through consistency, character, and an investment in the people around you.

He also taught me how to face hard circumstances without shrinking from them, which has served me more times than I can count in this industry. But perhaps the greatest gift he gave me was this: he made me believe I was capable of far more than I had ever allowed myself to imagine. That kind of belief, offered at the right moment by the right person, can change the entire trajectory of someone’s life.

It changed mine.