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April 16, 2025

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Rosa Santana: Every company needs a succession plan

By Monica Stavish Skaggs

Rosa Santana knows the importance of succession planning and leaving a legacy.

Santana, a staffing industry professional and entrepreneur for over two decades, is founder and CEO of Santana Group, comprised of a workforce solutions company, a business process outsourcing entity and a contract manufacturing solutions company based in San Antonio, Texas. 

While her niche was providing staffing services, she is the first female Hispanic direct Tier I supplier in Toyota Motor North America Inc.’s history, providing fully assembled Tacoma and Tundra truck beds.

Formed in 2002, Santana Group now includes six companies: Integrated Human Capital, Workforce Management Mexico, Diversa, Oveana, Forma and Forma Automotive. 

With Santana’s empire growing, she realized she needed help. She turned to her eldest daughter, Lisa Navarro-Gonzales, who had experience in the staffing industry and helped set up the back office. A few years later, her youngest daughter, Nicole Navarro-Velesiotis, joined the family business after graduating from college.

As many first-generation business entrepreneurs like Santana begin to reach retirement age, Toyota actively understands its suppliers’ succession plans and looks toward the next generation of leaders. The automotive giant views its suppliers as partners, not merely sources of materials.

Toyota is helping to prepare the next generation through an intensive succession training program. Participants include Santana and her daughters, who have assumed leadership roles in her companies. (See related article on Page 24).

Navarro-Gonzales describes a vote of confidence that Toyota showed Santana Group when it engaged the next-generation Compadres in additional training on Toyota and teaching about Japanese culture.

“These individuals are already managing the businesses and are familiar with the Toyota Way,” said Matt Greene, senior manager, supplier engagement, Toyota Motor North America. “We’ve found that the most successful succession plans are those that fully engage the people who are going to take over, giving them responsibilities within the organization and giving them leadership roles for years before they take over. And that’s what’s happening with the Compadres.” 

Did somebody say Tokyo?

“They invited their next generation of suppliers to a trip to Japan to learn about the culture, history and how the organization has evolved,” Navarro-Gonzales said. “We were in Tokyo seven days. They reiterated their commitment to us as suppliers and to the community.”

Activities began with three days of training through Toyota’s Operations Management Development Division at the San Antonio plant. Topics included Toyota’s manufacturing processes, purchasing, operations, engineering and continuous improvement.

The second training element was the trip to Japan in 2023, which featured a visit to company headquarters in Toyota City, where next-generation suppliers met with heads of several divisions to learn about Toyota’s supplier expectations. The suppliers toured the Toyota Museum and spent a day learning about Japanese culture in Kyoto. 

Toyota actively works with identified successors in supplier companies to ensure continuity in its supplier base. 

Skin in the game

Santana said succession planning is important to every business, particularly a minority business enterprise (MBE) that hopes to continue its company’s vision.

“I will tell you working together is challenging, but it is very good,” she said. “These girls are in the business, and they are running the business. They don’t just show up to a meeting. They are responsible to the companies and have grown professionally.

“Now they are my partners in the business and have skin in the game. They reap the benefits of it, and if we don’t have a good year, they will participate in that as well. They understand that hard work and building the business is crucial.

“What I’m proud of is that [my daughters] are entrenched with our clients. They’re my successors,” she added. “I know so many business owners that don’t have family members and don’t have a succession plan. I’m confident. I have the comfort and knowledge these girls will carry it forward.”

Her daughters agree on the importance of having a plan to keep the enterprise in the family.

“Succession planning is super important,” Navarro-Velesiotis said. “We’re the next generation and want to ensure we carry out our mom’s wishes. The entity’s protection is important, and we want to protect what we built.” 

To learn more about The Santana Group, visit santanagrp.com.