Robert E. “Bob” McKenna joined the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) as association president and CEO October 1, 2004. 

McKenna has over 40 years of  automotive industry experience. He joined MEMA from Atlanta-based Genuine Parts Co. (GPC) where he had a 34-year career. During that time he served as president of the U.S. Automotive Parts Group and chairman of the board for the National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA). Under his leadership, NAPA strengthened its position as a leading distributor in the traditional automotive aftermarket. 

McKenna joined GPC at the NAPA Columbus Distribution Center in 1970 as a management trainee. After his training, he served five years as assistant to Wilton Looney, former chairman of the GPC board; prior to joining the NAPA headquarters staff as operations director in 1977. He was named vice president and general manager of NAPA in 1980 and appointed president of NAPA in 1983.  

In 1997, McKenna was designated as a group vice president at GPC, as well as chairman of NAPA, and, in 1998, he began serving GPC as the U.S. automotive parts group president. He was also a member of the NAPA board of directors and chairman of the NAPA executive committee. His other industry activities include serving on the board of directors at Balkamp Inc., National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), the Mitchell Repair Information Company, and the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA). 

McKenna is a graduate of Ohio State University. Following graduation, he spent four years as a captain in the U.S. Army.

Robert "Bob" McKenna
President and CEO
Phone: (919) 549-4800
Email: bmckenna@mema.org