Trailblazers: Hispanic Leaders in Foodservice

As we move into October, CSG will continue our coverage of Hispanic Heritage Month with another spotlight on a trailblazing executive. Susan Santiago has made a successful career at Hyatt Hotels, and she was named President of the U.S. and Canada earlier this year. In her new role, Susan will be responsible for Hyatt operations and growth in North America.

Santiago has earned her new position after being with Hyatt for 32 years. She has worked her way up through every level of the company and has held multiple executive positions. Santiago has been breaking barriers since her early days at the company. She became the first female general manager in the Caribbean for the hotel chain. She was also Hyatt’s first female vice president in Southern California. In 2011 she was named the VP of food and beverage, the first woman to reach the position at the company. She made her biggest mark when she was named as the head of Miraval Resorts, Hyatt’s wellness brand.

No matter the position Santiago has served at, she has grown the Hyatt brand and proven herself a capable leader. She began her career at Hyatt in 1992, working as a server at the Hyatt Regency Westshore in Tampa, FL. She was born in Miami, FL, and graduated from Florida International University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary physical education. She was a schoolteacher for two years and worked part-time at Hyatt. After her family experienced a tragedy, she left teaching and decided to pursue her passion and a career in food and beverage. It is rare for someone to remain at one company as long as Santiago has, yet that doesn’t mean she hasn’t moved around. She has been all over the U.S. and even outside of it as she continually climbed the corporate ladder and reached milestones at Hyatt.

Santiago has admitted that foodservice is a very male-dominated industry, yet she has seen the number of female leaders grow every year at her company. Hispanic representation is even lower, and it has become a core issue that the company is addressing. Santiago has said in a previous interview that she has never seen her ethnicity or gender as an obstacle to her career. She feels that her role is not a job and is instead what she loves to do. Her commitment to hard work has been well rewarded and there seems to be no limit to how high she can climb in Hyatt.

Next week we will conclude our Hispanic Heritage Month series with one more trailblazer.