Leadership Team
Oveana

Rosa Santana

Founder, Chief Executive OfficerSantana Group | Integrated Human Capital | DIVERSA | Workforce Management Mexico | Forma Automotive, LLC | Oveana

Rosa Santana is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Santana Group, a top-tier minority- and woman-owned group of companies whose transformational solutions differentiate industry-leading companies through more efficient, effective, and competitive service. Since its founding in 2002, the Santana Group today includes Integrated Human Capital, Workforce Management Mexico, Diversa, Oveana, and Forma Automotive. Each of these companies was founded to address clients’ specific challenges.

Tapping into her bicultural upbringing as a Mexican immigrant to the United States from the age of 5, Santana has been a driving force within the U.S./Mexico outsourcing industry. Santana’s passion for community and entrepreneurship has inspired her to create thousands of jobs across the United States and Mexico, contributing to the economic  prosperity and well-being of the diverse communities in which she does business.

Realizing this passion early in her career at a Fortune 500 Company, Santana made a substantial impact by delivering extraordinary results in response to client challenges. Santana expanded the company’s footprint into Mexico, earning her a senior leadership role as corporate Vice President. Several years later, Santana was offered an executive leadership position at a competing international services company and again successfully established operations in Mexico while continuing to lead their U.S. division.

In 2002, Santana reached a turning point in her career when downsizing presented her with the opportunity to start her own business. She launched Integrated Human Capital (IHC), a staffing company, in El Paso, Texas, and simultaneously opened a cross-border company, Workforce Management, in Cuidad Juárez, Chih., Mexico. Always seeking growth opportunities, Santana set in motion plans to expand into the surrounding metro markets, and three years later, IHC began servicing clients in Austin and San Antonio,  Texas.

Over the next ten years, Santana built relationships with numerous companies and successfully delivered human capital solutions as a Tier II supplier to Toyota’s Tier I suppliers at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas.

Santana’s commitment to innovation and a continuous improvement culture drew the attention of Toyota procurement and supplier development leaders, and she was singled out for an opportunity to supply Toyota directly. In 2014, Toyota named Santana and her newly formed Forma Automotive the first Hispanic-, Woman-Owned Direct Tier I Supplier to Toyota, providing fully assembled truck beds for the award-winning Tacoma truck.

Today the Santana Group continues to demonstrate their expertise in developing solutions for their clients’ unique business challenges, resulting not only in the growth of the Santana Group companies but also in the creation of high-quality jobs.

Santana credits her numerous mentors for her success and has completed two Minority Business Executive programs at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University as well as the Advanced Management Education program at the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.

Utilizing these experiences, Santana has dedicated countless hours to empowering other minority- and women-entrepreneurs through mentoring and service in various organizations that are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion, such as the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), the Latino Business Action Network (LBAN), and the Women’s Business Council Southwest (WBCS).

As a result of her business acumen and dedication to serving her clients and community, Santana has won numerous awards locally, regionally, and nationally, including the 2020 Minority Business Development Agency’s National Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award (the first time in the history of the award that a minority- and woman-owned business was named a recipient) and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award 2019 Central Texas. Additionally Santana was named to Automotive News’ coveted 2020 list of 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry.

Civic Leadership

Throughout Santana’ s successful career, she has made it her mission to positively impact her community – locally, regionally and nationally.

National

• United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Board Member – (Current)

• Stanford Latino Business Action Network (LBAN) Board Member – (Current)

• Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Forum – (Current)

Regional

• Women’s Business Council Southwest (WBCS) Board Member – (Current)

• Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council (SMSDC) Board Member – (Former)

• Texas Women’s Forum Member – (Current)

Local

• San Antonio Economic Development Foundation (SAEDF) Private Sector Member of Executive Committee – (Current)

• San Antonio Business Journal Leadership Trust Member – (Current)

• San Antonio Airport Systems Development Committee Member – (Former)

• San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board Director – (Former)

• San Antonio Greater Chamber Economic Development Council – (Former)

• San Antonio Workforce Solutions Alamo Board Director – (Former)

• University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) Center for Research Entrepreneurship & Innovative Enterprises (CREIE) Advisory Board Director – (Former)

• El Paso Women’s Fund Board Director – (Former)

• United Way of El Paso Board Director – (Former)

• Upper Rio Grande Workforce Development Board Director – (Former)

Awards and Recognition

2020

  • MBDA’s National Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award – Forma
  • Automotive News’ National 2020 List of 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry – Forma
  • WBENC WBE National Star Award – Santana Group
  • SMSDC Regional Supplier of the Year – Oveana
  • Women’s Business Council Southwest Regional WBE of the Year – IHC

2019

  • MED Week Regional Minority Entrepreneur of the Year – Santana Group
  • Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Central Texas – Santana Group
  • SMSDC Regional Supplier of the Year – Forma
  • After-School All-Stars Texas Regional Entrepreneurial Award – Santana Group
  • Latina Style Regional Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Texas – Santana Group

2018

  • Hispanic Organization for Public Employees (HOPE) Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award – Santana Group

2017

  • International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) Award – Santana Group
  • El Paso Inc. Women of Impact Award – Santana Group
  • Minority Business Entrepreneur Magazine’s WBE who Rocks – Santana Group
  • SMSDC Supplier of the Year – Forma
  • Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year Winner – Santana Group
  • Hispanic Lifestyle Latinas of Influence – Santana Group

2016

  • Bizwomen’s Women to Watch for 2016 -Bizwomen and American City Business Journals
  • Induction into Women’s Business Enterprise Hall of Fame
  • Woman of the Year – San Antonio Business Journal
  • Women’s Leadership Awards – San Antonio Business Journal
  • Induction into the Minority Business Hall of Fame & Museum
  • Business Woman of the Year – Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC)
  • Large Business Owner of the Year – San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Cutting Edge Award – Women’s Business Border Center of El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Texas Entrepreneurial Award-Greater San Antonio After School All Stars

2015

  • Connecting the Dots Award for Outstanding WBE Spend – Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance
  • MBDA Minority Business Enterprise of the Year – El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Lillie Knox Investing for Growth Award – Women’s Business Council – Southwest
  • Small Business Person of the Year Award – SBA El Paso District
  • Latina Entrepreneurial Excellence Award – Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

2014

  • Entrepreneurial Spirit of the Year Award – El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Minority Business Enterprise of the Year Award – Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council
  • Hispanic Business Elite – United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – National Convention
  • “The Patricia Pliego Stout Entrepreneur Award” – San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

2011

  • Sol de Oro Award – El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Women’s Business Council Southwest – “Done Deals Women Working Together Award”

2010

  • DiversityPlus Magazine’s 2010 Women Power Impacting Diversity Winner May/June Issue
  • Sol de Oro Award – El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

2009

  • Most Influential Latina Award
  • Sol de Oro Award – El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

2008

  • Central and South Minority Business Enterprise of the Year

2007

  • Business Woman of the Year – United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Region III

2006

  • Compass Bank Latina Business Excellence Award
  • International Leadership Award – Texas Association of Mexican American Chamber of Commerce

2005

  • Business Woman of the Year – Texas Association of Mexican American Chamber of Commerce
  • Woman in Business Champion of the Year – SBA Small Business Week

2004

  • McDonald’s Hispanos Triunfadores Award – Business Category
  • Inducted into the El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame


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