Automotive Engineer & Consultant

Hi, I'm Violet.

Automotive engineer and consultant with a background spanning vehicle development, customer research, and product strategy. I bring a cross-functional perspective to complex problems — helping global OEMs make smarter decisions about products, features, and the experiences they deliver.

3
Degrees — Aerospace · Mech. Eng. · MBA
8+
Years in Automotive & Engineering
70+
Vehicle Apps Personally Evaluated
Violet Allmandinger
Selected Work

Research & Consulting

04 projects
01
J.D. Power · 2025
Mobile Apps Lead & Study Owner — U.S. OEM EV App Report
Owned end-to-end strategy and execution of the flagship EV App benchmark study — defining product vision, evaluation methodology, and go-to-market delivery. Directed assessment of 28 U.S. EV brands and 18 international profiles. Quantified a 2.4-point satisfaction gap between Tesla (7.9/10) and non-Tesla EV apps (5.5/10). Delivered executive readouts translating findings into product roadmap implications for global OEM clients.

"EV owners are telling J.D. Power exactly what they need: reliable performance and connectivity to interact with their vehicles. Top-performing apps deliver fast, consistent remote controls and have desired features."

Study OwnerEV AppsGlobal
02
J.D. Power · 2024–2025
Mobile Apps Lead — U.S. OEM ICE App Benchmark
Led companion study evaluating ICE vehicle app ecosystems across major OEM brands, translating customer needs into feature prioritization decisions. Revealed a critical engagement gap: 80% of owners use their vehicle app, but only 27% identify as frequent users. Identified misaligned OEM investment areas — 83% of owners want security and camera viewing while 72% reject in-app marketplaces.

"Connectivity and speed continue to be the most significant challenges for ICE vehicle apps. Owners want apps that work seamlessly every time, with core features that are easy to access and perform reliably."

Study OwnerICE AppsU.S. Market
03
J.D. Power · Global
Product Strategy Advisory — Global Automotive Consulting
Serves as product consultant to global OEM leadership teams, translating Voice of Customer data and competitive benchmarks into roadmap and feature prioritization decisions. Advises on EV feature competitiveness, usability gaps, and connected digital ecosystem performance. Manages escalations and influences stakeholders at VP and Director level across North America, Europe, and China.

"Automakers have made improvements in app features, improved response times and fixed connectivity gaps but, to improve customer satisfaction, they need to deliver core features that perform reliably."

OEM AdvisoryRoadmap StrategyExecutive Audiences
04
Stellantis / FCA · Product Engineering
Product Development Engineer — Stellantis
Contributed to vehicle product development and cross-functional integration during the formation of Stellantis — one of the largest automotive mergers in history. Led aerodynamic performance development, translating wind tunnel and CFD data into clear technical requirements for program leaders. Coordinated across engineering, manufacturing, and program teams in a large-scale matrix organization.

Engineering credibility that most product strategists don't have — built at the intersection of aerodynamics, vehicle systems, and one of the most complex OEM integrations in automotive history.

EngineeringAerodynamicsStellantis/FCA
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Core Capabilities

Areas of Expertise

06 areas
01 / 06
Connected Vehicle & Digital Product Strategy
Deep expertise in connected vehicle mobile ecosystems, owner behavior, feature adoption, and satisfaction drivers across 70+ personally evaluated vehicle apps spanning global OEM brands.
02 / 06
Voice of Customer & Product Validation
Designs and executes consumer research studies that translate customer needs into technical requirements. Conducts user interviews, behavioral analysis, and product experiments to gather actionable insights.
03 / 06
Product Roadmap & Feature Prioritization
Translates Voice of Customer data, competitive benchmarks, and satisfaction metrics into clearly defined product roadmaps — balancing timing, cost, and feature tradeoffs to guide what gets built.
04 / 06
Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Management
Experienced managing complex stakeholder landscapes across engineering, design, go-to-market, and executive audiences. Seamlessly manages escalations and influences across large matrix organizations.
05 / 06
Engineering Foundation — Hardware & Software
B.S. Aerospace Engineering, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, and MBA — plus hands-on product development at Stellantis/FCA across hardware systems, aerodynamics, and vehicle integration programs.
06 / 06
Data Analysis & Executive Storytelling
Translates complex datasets — behavioral, transactional, and survey-based — into clear strategy documents and executive presentations. Spokesperson for flagship J.D. Power OEM mobile app research.
Professional History

Career Timeline

From hands-on vehicle engineering to leading flagship consumer research — a rare path through both sides of the automotive product equation.

2024 – Present
J.D. Power
Product Consultant — Global Automotive Consulting
Leads the U.S. OEM EV App and ICE App annual benchmark studies. Serves as public spokesperson on vehicle app satisfaction research. Consults global OEM clients on applying proprietary insights to digital product strategy.
2023
J.D. Power
Sr. Analyst, Automotive Consulting
Developed client-facing insights deliverables and supported monthly industry insight calls with VP-level OEM stakeholders across J.D. Power's automotive consulting practice. Specialized in business insights and data analysis.
2018
Stellantis
Product Development Engineer
Contributed to vehicle product engineering during the formation of Stellantis — one of the largest automotive mergers in history. Coordinated across engineering, manufacturing, and program teams in a large-scale matrix organization.
2017
FCA Group
Aerodynamics & Wind Tunnel Engineer
Hands-on aerodynamic performance development and wind tunnel test operations at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
2016
WITTENSTEIN North America
Engineer
Early engineering experience in precision drive systems and manufacturing environments.
Education
Master of Business Administration
Gies College of Business · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Oakland University
B.S. Aerospace Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Let's work together.

Open to product management roles, consulting engagements, and strategic conversations in automotive, EV, and connected vehicle technology.

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