Carla Cosenzi
President, TommyCar Auto Group
Carla Cosenzi, President of TommyCar Auto Group, a family of five dealerships in Western Massachusetts; Country Nissan, Country Hyundai, Northampton Volkswagen, Genesis of Northampton, and TommyCar Collision & TommyCar Towing. Alongside her brother, Tommy, she guides the company’s growth and day-to-day operations while preserving the family values that have defined the brand for decades.
Carla’s path to the automotive world wasn’t a straight line. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Columbia University, originally planning for a career in research and clinical practice. But her late father, Tom Cosenzi, inspired her to bring her people-first perspective to the family business. What began as a short-term role quickly became a calling as she recognized the opportunity to transform how customers experience buying and servicing their cars and help attract more women into an industry where they were underrepresented.
When her father passed unexpectedly, Carla took the bold step of assuming top leadership at only 29 years old. Overnight she became the face of the company, uniting her team, steadying operations, and carrying forward her father’s vision. She credits that moment, stepping up in a time of uncertainty, as the single biggest risk and the defining turning point of her career. Today she continues to guide a team of more than 200 employees, ensuring that every dealership reflects TommyCar’s promise: “You’re Gonna Love It Here!”
Under Carla’s direction, she founded Carla Cares, a company-wide program that turns community involvement into a daily practice. She also co-chairs the Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament, which has raised over $2 million for brain-cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Carla’s achievements reflect her exceptional business leadership, strategic innovation, and commitment to excellence. From guiding a growing automotive group to creating customer-focused programs and championing meaningful causes, she has consistently set a high standard in both business and philanthropy. Her work has been celebrated with numerous prestigious honors, including:
2025 Women Empowered Award
2023 BusinessWest Women of Impact
2020 BusinessWest 40 Under Forty Alumni Achievement Award
2019 BusinessWest Difference Makers
2012 BusinessWest 40 Under Forty
Top 10 Businesswomen of the Pioneer Valley – Women Business Owners Alliance
Ken Coleman Extra Mile Award for exceptional community impact
From a psychology scholar to a nationally recognized automotive leader and philanthropist, Carla Cosenzi continues to prove that strong businesses are built on human connections. Her vision, grounded in community, innovation, and care, drives TommyCar Auto Group forward and inspires everyone around her to love not just what they do, but the difference they make.