Brazilian Footwear: And when you were a child, as you mentioned, following the daily routine at the footwear factory, did you already imagine you would one day work in the industry?

Suzana: I’ve always been very interested in fashion. When I was little, I even thought about becoming a model. Fashion has always been a passion of mine—along with entrepreneurship. A good example of that is when I was 10 or 11 years old, I used to make beaded bracelets and sell them at the office. I remember sitting there making my bracelets while my mom worked at the factory. So I already had that fashion instinct and a bit of a business mindset, too—after all, with the money I made from selling the bracelets, I would reinvest in the “business” by buying more materials. I can’t say that I imagined myself running a footwear company back then, but the interest was definitely always there in some form.

Brazilian Footwear: So tell us more about how you officially joined Suzana Santos and what your journey within the company has been like…

Suzana: I started out doing a bit of everything in the Human Resources department. I also worked in purchasing and invoicing. These experiences were essential in shaping and developing who I am as a professional. Today, I know where my strengths lie—customer service, negotiation, and the creative direction of the business. I grew step by step within the company. When I began working, I was also starting my degree in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing, and I decided to do an exchange program to improve my English. When I returned, I founded the export department at the company and began traveling with my father.

Brazilian Footwear: And what helped you in those early days of setting up the export department?

Suzana: The support from Abicalçados in participating in international trade shows through the Brazilian Footwear subsidies was essential. After that first show, I started taking part in everything. When I created the export department, the company was selling to three countries—at our peak, we were exporting to 45. Today, we’re exporting to around 20 markets. So there’s been tremendous growth since I took over the area. And international trade is very different from doing business in the domestic market—relationships abroad work differently. You need to build a consistent, long-term strategy before you start seeing results. In the beginning, it took a lot of courage and investment, since the return doesn’t come right away. Today, we’ve built a track record and connections, and the work is on another level.

Brazilian Footwear: How long have you been serving as Commercial and Creative Director of Grupo Suzana Santos?

Suzana: This November marks six years since I took over as Commercial Director. When I accepted the role, I stepped out of my comfort zone in exports to take on a completely new position—at just 29 years old, leading a team that still saw me as the “founder’s daughter” or simply a colleague, not a leader. I’ll admit, I was afraid, but my father used to say, “You’re not alone—we’re the second generation.” So I made the decision to prepare myself. I studied the products, the market, and our processes—and most importantly, I started listening to the team, working together to build our strategies. My family gave me emotional support, and little by little, I earned legitimacy through competence. Within two years, I had earned the team’s trust, expanded our national reach, and achieved ambitious goals. More than that, I showed that the new generation could bring innovation, focus, and results—breaking internal paradigms and building a leadership style that stands as a reference today.

Brazilian Footwear: Can you tell us about the group’s numbers? How many production units, employees, pairs produced, and markets are you working with? …

Suzana: We currently have five production units, including our factories located in São João Batista, Santa Catarina, and in cities across the state of Bahia. We have over 3,000 direct and indirect employees. Footwear truly is a passion that was passed down from father to children. The company feels like an extension of my home. We’re a family business, and we hold tightly to our family values—like humility. One of my personal goals is to humanize Grupo Suzana Santos more and more, so that people feel good being here. This year, our goal is to reach 3 million pairs produced, supplying the domestic market across all Brazilian states while also expanding our presence in the international market. Today, we export to over 20 countries on average. We’re always striving for growth. My father always used to say, “There’s no such thing as keeping a business stable—you always have to grow, because expenses rise every year. If you’re stable, you’re actually falling behind.” Based on that belief, our target is to grow by at least 10%.

Brazilian Footwear: And how did 2025 start for the company?

Suzana: Last year was challenging, but 2025 has already gotten off to a much better start. We’re truly seeing a market recovery, and we’re optimistic that 2025 will be a stronger year than 2024. We’ve definitely felt a positive shift, and we’re confident because we’ve made a point to stay in motion. The moment we stop moving, we start to fade away. That’s why we’re always pushing forward—looking to do things differently, both in terms of product and customer service, with a strong focus on training our sales and marketing teams.

Brazilian Footwear: BFSHOW is the biggest footwear trade show in Latin America. Could you share your thoughts on the event and your overall assessment?

Suzana: We started participating in BFSHOW at its second edition, held in São Paulo. It’s a much more professional and well-organized trade show, and the location is a unanimous choice—São Paulo is logistically better for both domestic and international buyers. In my view, the highlight of the event is its strong focus on exports. We’ve seen growth with every new edition, and it’s a show that really empowers us as Brazilian footwear manufacturers. We’re very proud that it has already become the biggest in Latin America. Today, we can’t imagine the industry’s trade show calendar without BFSHOW. In fact, Suzana Santos has already confirmed participation in the next edition.

Brazilian Footwear: Grupo Suzana Santos has three brands. How do you work internally to differentiate each one while continuing to improve the company’s competitiveness and productivity?

Suzana: Each brand has a clearly defined target audience. Suzana Santos is our fashion-forward brand, offering products with excellent cost-benefit and appealing to a more trend-focused consumer. Renata Mello has a more commercial fashion approach, while Azillê is aimed at a younger audience. All three brands work exclusively with synthetic materials. To enhance our competitiveness and productivity, we’re constantly evolving. We actively participate in the main footwear machinery and component trade shows, always keeping an eye on new technologies, trends, and solutions that optimize processes and drive our growth. We invest in innovation and automation, with a strong focus on productivity, quality, and competitiveness.

Brazilian Footwear: This year, Grupo Suzana Santos celebrates its 30th anniversary. How are you approaching this milestone year?

Suzana: In terms of sales and revenue, our goal is to reach 3 million pairs, as I mentioned earlier. Naturally, that will translate into overall growth for the company. We’re also heavily focused on comprehensive team training. I can’t reveal too much yet, but in the second half of the year, we’ll be more active in our communications and plan to highlight our 30-year milestone more and more. We’re incredibly proud to reach three decades, and we want to use this anniversary as a fresh boost to help us look further ahead. Our mindset and actions are very much focused on growth—not just in terms of volume, but also in delivering more quality, more fashion, and more speed to our customers. I truly believe in the momentum that our 30th anniversary is bringing. The biggest challenge on the commercial side is to keep sales and marketing in motion, because trends are constantly evolving. What’s trending today might not be tomorrow. Consumer behavior has changed significantly in recent years—everything is moving faster, and access to information through social media allows people to follow the fashion world in real time.

Brazilian Footwear: Would you say that these constant changes are the biggest challenge in your role as the company’s Creative and Commercial Director today?

Suzana: I wouldn’t say things are easier today—but they’re not harder either. Market research is important, of course, but instinct, conversations with clients, and experience matter far more than simply following a report or a fashion influencer. These days, you have to truly understand your customer and your target audience, because not every trend will resonate with them. On top of that, getting the timing right for a launch is crucial. Each collection is like launching a new business. If something doesn’t work, you have to be quick to pivot—but today, we have a much better understanding of that process. There’s always that feeling of nervous anticipation when we preview a new collection. With the experience we’ve gained over 30 years of customer relationships, I sometimes present a collection to key clients before we showcase it at a trade show. If I sense they’re not fully on board, that gives us time to make adjustments before the official launch

Brazilian Footwear: To wrap up, what one word would you use to define BFSHOW?

Suzana: I see BFSHOW as a large-scale trade show—with strong presence—and one that brings results and growth. In fact, that’s already happening. BFSHOW is already delivering results; during the May edition, we opened new accounts.