AutoWeek Magazine Announces Its '10 Secret People'

A list of rising automotive stars poised to light the way

DETROIT, Sept. 16 -- AutoWeek knew these individuals were going places the moment editors at the magazine met them. They are shining lights in a luminescent industry, the people whose smarts, talents, wit, charm, capabilities and single-minded drive set them apart. You might call them wunderkinds, whiz kids or prodigies. The editors at AutoWeek call them the magazine's "10 Secret People."

None of these people see cars as commodities or as a means to an end. Rather, cars are the lens through which their professional -- and very often their personal -- lives are focused.

The list includes a variety of personalities in many roles, from executives and engineers to racers, a team owner and a driving instructor.

  Here they are:

  --  Carlos Tavares, executive vice president, Nissan America
  --  Beth Paretta, East Coast operations manager, Aston Martin
  --  Melanie Fox, Volt battery integration engineer, Chevrolet
  --  Nico Hulkenberg, race-car driver, Formula One
  --  Mike Loescher, CEO and instructor, FinishLine Racing School
  --  Chas Murphy, R8 and TT product manager, Audi of America
  --  Pete Reyes, Taurus chief engineer, Ford
  --  Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani, team owner, NHRA
  --  Hether Fedullo, noise, vibration and harshness engineer, Ford

  --  Ashley Fiolek, motocross racer

For more detailed information on the list and a flashback to AutoWeek's "10 Secret People" from 1998, check out the September 21, 2009, issue of AutoWeek magazine.

AutoWeek magazine is a fortnightly automotive-enthusiast publication based in Detroit, Mich., and is one of nearly 30 titles published by Crain Communications Inc. Through its print and online products, the AutoWeek brand is symbolic of core automotive passion. It is a must-read for those who live the automotive lifestyle. AutoWeek delivers by-the-minute news at autoweek.com while taking an in-depth look at the enthusiast world in the primarily subscription-based magazine. AutoWeek provides readers with more information more often, giving them their car fix before the other guys even start their engines.