There appears to be no challenge that Stephanie Morey can’t overcome. From being a leader in data management in the ever-changing tire industry to building a shop in her backyard when her woodturning passion was put on hold due to the pandemic, she is up to the test.
Stephanie was first familiarized with the aftermarket tire space directly out of college. After a few years of sales and customer service work for Federal-Mogul, she left the industry for other opportunities. Though she had different jobs and mentors through her time away from the industry that she appreciates, she never felt satisfied- until she joined Schrader TPMS Solutions, a branch of Sensata Technologies, in 2013 and became their head of global pricing and category management and aftermarket business in 2015.
“[Schrader] took me back to where I started, back into the aftermarket, and I love it,” says Stephanie. “I think I found what I was searching for. The culture and the team that I work with are amazing. They lift each other up and they support each other, it is a culture of inclusion and I just love it and thrive here. There are lots of challenges and a ton of opportunities [in this industry].”
Stephanie’s main responsibility at Schrader TPMS Solutions is to handle pricing and category management. Though they fall under two different categories, she says they complement each other well.
“With pricing, my responsibilities are pricing strategy on a global level. So understanding the markets and its drivers, and making sure that we remain competitive in supporting our sales team from that perspective,” she says. “From a category management standpoint, it’s [about] looking for the insights. It’s [approaching] data with no bias. [You have to ask yourself], ‘What am I trying to answer?’ And let the data lead me to the answers.”
According to Stephanie, data is one of the most important elements to remaining relevant and keeping up with trends in the aftermarket. She says while data collection is important, even more important is knowing what to do with that data.
“We’ve seen so much change over the last couple of years, the more data that we have available, the better. It’s not just having it available, it’s about what we do with it. It needs to be meaningful, finding what the changes are, and what’s driving those changes. So it is important- it’s important in everything that we do.”
When it comes to pricing and category management, Stephanie has applied those skills to help guide the entire tire industry forward. She isn’t just involved with the tire industry professionally, but she also is involved in the Auto Care Association having served on the Category Management Committee, currently serving on the Market Intelligence Committee and is a certified TIA ATS instructor. Involvement with these organizations allows Stephanie to showcase the importance of accurate pricing and category management information to the tire industry and be a leader in that field.
Stephanie also has many hobbies that still revolve around using the analysis side of her brain- including gardening, finding the perfect classic car to purchase with her husband, and, yes, woodturning.
“I love creating something beautiful out of something ordinary. So, you know, all day long, I’m dealing with numbers and data, and it’s really important to be precise. But when I get out in the shop, I love it because my mind is refocused. I’m focused on that piece of wood, the shape [of it], and turning it into something amazing. I completely block all of the other stuff out. So it’s a creative outlet for me and I absolutely love it.”
Stephanie advises those in the industry to continue to learn and grow in order to keep up with the quickly-developing aftermarket and automotive industry.
“There’s so much out there that’s available these days. And I think that it’s important to make sure that we continue to be our own champions and make sure that we’re out there seeking knowledge.”
