Two Honda Leaders Named 2024 Rising Stars by Automotive News

Automotive News today recognized Honda associates Jessika Laudermilk and Tim Leopold as Rising Stars in the U.S. automotive industry. Laudermilk was acknowledged for her role in directing marketing operations for both the Honda and Acura brands while Leopold was recognized for his role leading the transition to battery electric vehicle (EV) production at Honda.

In June 2024, Laudermilk assumed a new role as assistant vice president of Honda National Sales. She is the company’s youngest-ever executive to lead U.S. sales activities for the Honda automobile brand and the first woman to serve in this position.

Leopold is an associate chief engineer at Honda Development & Manufacturing of America (HDMA) in Ohio and project leader for the Marysville Auto Plant (MAP) Battery EV Infrastructure. In this role, he is responsible for the introduction of EV production at MAP, which was established in 1982 as the first Honda auto plant in North America, and will also become the first Honda facility to begin EV production.

The Automotive News Rising Star awards annually honor automaker and supplier leaders, based in the U.S. and under the age of 45, who have the talent and dedication necessary to become the auto industry leaders of tomorrow. Automotive News has published its list of the industry’s up-and-comers annually since 2014. Leopold and Laudermilk were two of 21 honorees from a variety of disciplines — from executive management to purchasing, engineering, mobility and design.

Laudermilk joined Honda in 2018 within the Honda Auto Sales Division. After leading Honda Marketing, including brand and product advertising, multicultural marketing and regional marketing, she became assistant vice president of the Marketing Division in 2022, where she led marketing for both the Honda and Acura brands. Under Laudermilk’s leadership, Honda ranked as the number one auto brand in America in the 2024 Axios Harris Poll.

Since joining Honda in 2002, Leopold has excelled in numerous roles working to innovate production capabilities in North America. He was instrumental in the planning, development and global introduction of the first 10-speed automatic transmission at the Honda Transmission Plant Georgia, demonstrating the ability of a U.S. facility to lead global production of a brand-new powertrain, now featured in a number of Honda and Acura vehicles. He took a senior role within the new Honda EV Hub in 2022, preparing Honda for EV production at MAP.