From sacrifice to success: The road to leadership
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re sharing the story of Danny Rivera, Chief Operating Officer.
Before he was even born, the course of Danny Rivera’s life began to take shape in a profound way.
He was born and grew up in the United States, but Danny’s story starts in Cuba when his grandfather’s small shipping and logistics business was seized by the Cuban government during Castro’s reign. Stripped of his livelihood, Danny’s grandfather decided to move his family, including Danny’s then 7-year-old mother, to America.
“I remember my mom and uncle telling me they weren’t allowed to take anything with them,” Danny recalled. “No money, no jewelry, nothing. They had to leave it all behind.”
Danny’s father also immigrated to the U.S. through a program that brought Cuban children without their parents and placed them in foster care. “My father came over with just his sister,” Danny said. “When they arrived in the States, they were separated and placed in different foster homes.” Their parents eventually made it to the U.S., and the brother and sister were eventually reunited several years later.
These stories of sacrifice are the stories Danny grew up with. Now, he carries his family legacy into his work at Driven Brands, using it as a guiding principle in his leadership approach and how he supports others.
Supportive leadership
The decisions and risks made by Danny’s family are why he takes his career and leadership so seriously.
“My grandparents made sacrifices for me that I’ll never be able to pay back, but I work hard every day to try and do so,” he said.
With this commitment in mind, Danny earned an engineering degree and then completed law school. Although he never practiced law, the skills he gained proved invaluable on his career path and supported him as he shifted from IT leadership to business leadership. Danny’s professional background includes time at GE, Burger King, and AutoNation. He started with Driven Brands as CIO, and then President of Meineke.
From there, he was promoted to Group President of the Maintenance segment and President of Take 5 Oil Change. In 2022, he took on the role of Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all the brands.
Danny’s family history has informed his leadership style. For him, effective leadership begins with creating a supportive environment where everyone has an equal chance to succeed.
“I'm a big believer in creating an even playing field,” Danny said. “I don't make assumptions about people or limit them. Instead, I tell them: this is the game we’re playing, these are the rules, and this is how we keep score. We're all entitled to an opportunity, but you give people the chance to earn things for themselves.”
Laying a foundation for a path forward
To lay the foundation for opportunity, Danny stresses the importance of clarity in communication: “A good leader helps their team understand how to keep score and what it takes to win. If the rules and goals aren’t clear, it’s difficult for people to succeed.” For Danny, effective leadership includes making expectations transparent and providing feedback on performance. His own experience has shown him that people need to know and understand what success looks like and how to achieve it.
Although, it starts by stepping up to the plate. For Danny, in the footsteps of his heritage, that means taking risks.
“You can create a world where you don't really ever fail, but if that’s the case, then you're not taking any real risks,” he affirmed. “So it's kind of like, great, you never fail, but you also don't do anything worth doing. Try to accomplish great things. You will fail at times, which is okay. You’ll also learn from those failures.”
Audacious goal setting
As COO of Driven Brands, Danny is focused on creating a company culture where all employees can thrive. “I encourage people to set audacious and intentional goals,” Danny explained.
“When I was in my early 20s, becoming a C-suite leader was the furthest thing from my mind. But I always had goals and a plan to achieve them. Over time, I learned from both successes and failures, and my ambitions evolved.”
Regardless of your current role, Danny encourages everyone not to put themselves in a box or feel limited by their past.
“Your aspirations are always free to change. Have goals and a plan, but also be open to evolving what you set your sights on as you grow and learn.”