The “Fleet Meets” series is dedicated to spotlighting the people behind the fleet industry — the leaders, innovators, and relationship builders making an impact every day. This week, Automotive Fleet connected with Steven Santostasi, TSP Channel Manager at For Pro. In his role, Santostasi works within the evolving world of fleet technology and connected vehicle solutions. We spoke with him about his career journey, industry perspective, and the experiences that continue to shape his approach to the business.

Here's what he said.

AF: What’s your professional background, and how did you get involved with fleet?

Santostasi: After completing my undergrad at Central Michigan University in 2017, I first worked in the elevator industry for a few years before switching to an automotive-related company that manufactured EV charging stations called Volta Charging (now known as Jolt). After Volta, I landed a role on the Data Services Team at Ford Pro, where I would meet with our largest commercial and fleet customers to educate them on our third-party telematics service provider (TSP) integrations and how we can help them save time and money by sending their Ford vehicle data into their TSP's platform of choice. Since then, I was appointed to a new role as TSP Channel Manager, where I manage some of our TSP partners, including Geotab, Samsara, Zubie, and others.

AF: What do you love about the industry?

Santostasi: Our incredibly loyal customers at Ford Pro are what I love most about the industry. Our customers are all in on what we are building at Ford Pro and continue to remain loyal to our brand of vehicles. They consistently provide us with substantial feedback on the areas we need to improve and how we can better serve their fleets with future vehicle designs. This industry has connected me with customers all over the world, and I have had the privilege of learning how they use our vehicles and telematics data to run their everyday businesses. It truly is a special industry, and one I do not take for granted working in.

AF: What’s your biggest piece of life advice?

Santostasi: Something my late grandparents always told me throughout my life was to persevere. It was ingrained in me as a child and has stuck with me ever since. The more you can overcome challenges and obstacles in work and in life, the better off you will be as both a professional and a person.

AF: What are your hobbies outside of work?

Santostasi: Pickleball has become one of my main hobbies as of late. My only regret is that I didn't start sooner! I also love to travel and am fortunate enough to stay at some of the nicest hotels in the world, thanks to my wife Maggie, who works for a global hotel brand.

AF: If you were an animal, what type of animal would you be?

Santostasi: I would for sure be a Lion and that’s mainly due to being a diehard Detroit Lions fan since birth. One Pride!

AF: What’s something you’ve learned through your work in telematics that most people outside the fleet industry wouldn’t expect?

Santostasi: How dependent our customers are on telematics data to run their businesses. When I speak to family and friends about what I do, many of them do not understand why companies need this data. Our customers rely on it to serve their own customers and operate their businesses effectively. Telematics data is absolutely critical to their success.