Big break: Grew a customer’s account with four new vehicle programs, leading to promotion to the GM business

When Kelly Muldoon was working toward a linguistics degree at the University of Michigan, she took an internship at Mopar. Just a summer job, she thought.

But that summer job, working with dealers to secure parts as Chrysler went through bankruptcy, diverted her career plans. 

“It was something that I had never experienced before … launching into something where you really feel like you’re making an impact,” she said.

Muldoon worked for supplier Venchurs Inc. for seven years before landing at Faurecia, where she’s now vice president of the company’s General Motors and John Deere business units. She’s in charge of securing new business, launching programs and managing existing business. She works with Faurecia’s purchasing, engineering, manufacturing and finance teams, along with her customers.

“It really is kind of like your own small business and P&L that you’re looking at every day to understand how you’re performing,” she said. “Every day is something different and new. It doesn’t get stagnant. There’s always new challenges and new opportunities.”

The opportunity to work in France drew Muldoon to Faurecia. She spent a year working on the company’s comfort and wellness marketing solutions team at Faurecia’s global headquarters, near Paris, from June 2018 through December 2019.

“Being immersed in a new country and in a new culture ... adds depth to character. It’s hard to define on a resume, but it’s definitely something that shows up in the way that you work,” she said. 

“I really believe that that was a turning point in landing this next role.”

When she returned to Faurecia’s Auburn Hills, Mich., location, Muldoon began working on Faurecia’s account with an automaker she declined to identify. She was promoted to vice president of the account in 2020. Muldoon launched four new vehicle programs before she was promoted to the GM account in May.

Much of Muldoon’s success — no matter the customer — has stemmed from her focus on building relationships and understanding customers’ needs, she said. “At the heart of every interaction, they’re still people. That’s the common thread,” Muldoon said. “No matter where I show up or how I’m doing business, it’s all about the relationships.”

— Hannah Lutz