Paul McCarthy

Paul McCarthy is the president and CEO of MEMA, The Vehicle Suppliers Association, representing the largest sector of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. As president and CEO, McCarthy guides two key groups—MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers and MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers—in championing the business interests of motor vehicle suppliers. MEMA has been the voice of North American vehicle suppliers, parts manufacturers vehicle suppliers, parts manufacturers, remanufacturers, and technology providers since 1904. Our members lead the way in innovation and conceive, design and manufacture the parts, systems and technologies that make up two-thirds of the value of every vehicle and keep hundreds of millions of vehicles on the road running safely and affordably. 

McCarthy previously served in various leadership roles at MEMA, including president of MEMA’s aftermarket group, president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) and senior vice president of strategy for all of MEMA, overseeing board management and strategic initiatives.

McCarthy has 29 years of experience in the vehicle industry. Before joining MEMA, Paul led the Automotive and Industrial Products Strategy Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In this role, he led projects driving major business decisions at dozens of vehicle suppliers, eight of the top ten global automakers, truck- and bus-makers, and financial institutions. His past leadership roles include heading PwC Germany’s Automotive Strategy advisory practice and leading global forecasting and analysis for a prominent vehicle forecast organization. He has conducted business in 18 countries and traveled to over 60 countries.

He has an MBA from Duke University, where he was awarded the Fuqua Scholar designation.  He has served on the boards of MEMA, MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers, MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, AASA, the University of the Aftermarket Foundation (UAF) and the Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF). He has been presented with the Northwood Education Award and the AWDA Outstanding Leadership Award.

Last Updated: January 2026