Full Name
Xavier A. Gutierrez
Job Title
Chairman and CEO
Company
ImpactX Sports Group, LLC
Speaker Bio
Xavier A. Gutierrez is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ImpactX Sports Group, LLC, (ImpactX) a private investment, operating, and strategic advisory firm focused on the global sports industry.
ImpactX partners with sports private equity funds and investment firms to acquire and operate world class sports assets and strategic joint ventures with professional sports teams, leagues, and university athletic departments across North America. ImpactX serves as an investor, strategic advisor, and operator of sports enterprises, deploying a differentiated value creation strategy of real estate optimization, market expansion, brand building, and intellectual property monetization. Founded in 2024, ImpactX strategically leverages the positive impact of sports on culture, commerce and community to achieve business and financial success in this growing institutional asset class.
Mr. Gutierrez has a 30+ year career as a business executive, investor and dealmaker focused on investment management, corporate strategy & operations, finance, business development, and sports management.
Mr. Gutierrez previously served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Alternate Governor of the Arizona Coyotes Hockey Club from June 2020 until July 2024. In this role, Mr. Gutierrez oversaw all business operations, strategic planning, significant organizational decision-making, and government relations for the club. In June 2024, Mr. Gutierrez helped negotiation and close the largest control stake sale of an NHL franchise at $1.2 billion. Mr. Gutierrez is the first Latino President & CEO in the history of the National Hockey League. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez is one of the only real estate executives and private equity investors to have led a major professional sports franchise.
Prior to the Coyotes, Mr. Gutierrez was a Managing Director at Clearlake Capital Group, where he focused on investments, operations, strategic development, and investor client servicing & outreach. Mr. Gutierrez was based in the firm’s Santa Monica, California headquarters and was a member of Clearlake’s Executive Committee and contributor to its Investment Committee. Clearlake is a leading private investment firm founded in 2006, managing over $70 Billion of institutional capital since inception whose senior investment principals have led or co-led over 300 investments in technology, industrials, and consumer companies. Mr. Gutierrez continues to serve as a member of Clearlake’s Executive Council, comprised of senior business and investment executives who provide strategic counsel to Clearlake and its portfolio companies.
Previously, Mr. Gutierrez served as Chief Investment Officer of Meruelo Group, the family office of US Latino business executive and Coyotes Chairman and Governor Alex Meruelo, and President & Chief Investment Officer of Meruelo Investment Partners, the firm’s investment affiliate. At Meruelo Group, Mr. Gutierrez oversaw investments and acquisitions, and was responsible for deal origination, underwriting, execution, and capital sourcing. He also helped lead the strategic management of 40-plus portfolio companies across industries including: Banking & Financial Services; Hospitality & Gaming; Media; Infrastructure; Restaurant & Food Services; Real Estate; Public Equity; and Private Equity.
Prior to Meruelo Group, Mr. Gutierrez was Principal & Managing Director with Phoenix Realty Group, a national real estate private equity firm managing approximately $1 billion in institutional capital from leading public pension funds, banks and insurance companies. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez has held positions with the law firm of Latham & Watkins, the investment bank Lehman Brothers, and worked as a financial analyst in the League Office of the National Football League.
Mr. Gutierrez currently serves on the Board of Directors for Janus International Corp (NYSE: JBI) and is a Board Advisor for Trinitas Capital Management (a privately held credit investment manager with $17 billion in assets under management). He was previously a Shareholder and served on the Board of Directors of Commercial Bank of California (CBC). CBC is a privately held, full-service commercial bank based in Los Angeles/Orange County with over $2 billion in assets, making it the largest Latino-owned bank in California.
In 2020, Mr. Gutierrez co-founded and currently serves as Board Chairman of SUMA Wealth (www.sumawealth.com), an innovative financial technology company focused on eliminating the Latinx wealth gap by engaging, educating, and empowering this cohort through culturally relevant content, financial tools and services.
In 2024, Mr. Gutierrez partnered with Guerrero Media and Hispanic Executive Magazine to launch LiS: Latinos in Sports (www.latinosinsports.com), a multi-strategy platform focused on the power of Latinos in the global sports industry via convenings, content, and careers.
Frequently sought after for speaking opportunities and media interviews, Mr. Gutierrez has been profiled in outlets including Bloomberg, ESPN, CNBC, Fast Company, Forbes, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. Mr. Gutierrez currently serves as a Professor of Practice in the Department of Finance at the Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of Business.
Mr. Gutierrez has been very active with several non-profit, academic, and philanthropic organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and Investment Committee for the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), a public charitable foundation managing approximately $2 billion in assets to improve the quality of life in Arizona by promoting and facilitating effective philanthropy. Mr. Gutierrez is also on the Board of Aspen Institute Latinos & Society Program Advisory Board which is committed to increasing Latino access to opportunity and inclusion in the economy by gathering diverse, nonpartisan thought leaders to address US Latino economic development. He also serves on the Advisory Board for Pro Sports Assembly, a community of leaders in professional sports, advancing diverse and inclusive leadership in teams, leagues and unions. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC), a Washington DC-based trade association founded in 1971 that serves as the largest network of diverse-owned and emerging private equity firms and hedge funds in the United States. Mr. Gutierrez also serves on the Advisory Council for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the national organization focused on providing financial support for US Latinos to pursue higher education. Also, Mr. Gutierrez serves on the Board of Directors for Teach for America, Arizona. Mr. Gutierrez proudly serves on Stanford Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Stanford Law School Board of Vistors, and the Board of Regents of his high school alma mater, Bellarmine College Preparatory (San Jose, CA).
From January 2016 until September 2017, Mr. Gutierrez was appointed and served as a voting member of the US Securities Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies, which provided a formal mechanism for the SEC to receive advice and recommendations on privately held small businesses and publicly traded companies with a market capitalization less than $250 million. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez previously served on the Board of Directors of Sizmek, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: SZMK), an advertising technology company.
Previously, Mr. Gutierrez served on the Board of Directors and Investment Committee for the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), a public charitable foundation managing approximately $1 billion in assets to improve the quality of life in Arizona by promoting and facilitating effective philanthropy. He also served as a member of the Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL), an organization of leading CEO’s in the business, education, philanthropy and public policy sectors to improve economic vitality and quality of life in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez was previously on the NHL's Executive Inclusion Council which is comprised of a group of owners, team presidents and general managers and focused on ensuring diversity and inclusion within the league's organizations. Mr. Gutierrez also has served on the Board of Directors and the Investment Committee of the California Community Foundation (CCF), a public charitable organization founded in 1915 that stewards nearly $1.7 billion in assets and manages more than 1,600 charitable foundations, funds and legacies for the greater Los Angeles community. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez served on the Board of Directors of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the national organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the 4million+ Hispanic/Latino-owned businesses in the United States. Mr. Gutierrez also previously served on the Board of Trustees for Southern California Public Radio, on the Board of Regents of Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, CA), the Board of the Harvard Club of Southern California, the Stanford Law School Board of Visitors and the Young Alumni Committee of the Harvard Alumni Association.
Mr. Gutierrez is a proud graduate of Bellarmine College Preparatory, an all-boys Jesuit high school in San Jose, California. He received his Bachelor of Arts (AB) cum laude in Government from Harvard University, and his Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) from Stanford Law School. Mr. Gutierrez, his wife Jericca, and son Xavi live in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
ImpactX partners with sports private equity funds and investment firms to acquire and operate world class sports assets and strategic joint ventures with professional sports teams, leagues, and university athletic departments across North America. ImpactX serves as an investor, strategic advisor, and operator of sports enterprises, deploying a differentiated value creation strategy of real estate optimization, market expansion, brand building, and intellectual property monetization. Founded in 2024, ImpactX strategically leverages the positive impact of sports on culture, commerce and community to achieve business and financial success in this growing institutional asset class.
Mr. Gutierrez has a 30+ year career as a business executive, investor and dealmaker focused on investment management, corporate strategy & operations, finance, business development, and sports management.
Mr. Gutierrez previously served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Alternate Governor of the Arizona Coyotes Hockey Club from June 2020 until July 2024. In this role, Mr. Gutierrez oversaw all business operations, strategic planning, significant organizational decision-making, and government relations for the club. In June 2024, Mr. Gutierrez helped negotiation and close the largest control stake sale of an NHL franchise at $1.2 billion. Mr. Gutierrez is the first Latino President & CEO in the history of the National Hockey League. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez is one of the only real estate executives and private equity investors to have led a major professional sports franchise.
Prior to the Coyotes, Mr. Gutierrez was a Managing Director at Clearlake Capital Group, where he focused on investments, operations, strategic development, and investor client servicing & outreach. Mr. Gutierrez was based in the firm’s Santa Monica, California headquarters and was a member of Clearlake’s Executive Committee and contributor to its Investment Committee. Clearlake is a leading private investment firm founded in 2006, managing over $70 Billion of institutional capital since inception whose senior investment principals have led or co-led over 300 investments in technology, industrials, and consumer companies. Mr. Gutierrez continues to serve as a member of Clearlake’s Executive Council, comprised of senior business and investment executives who provide strategic counsel to Clearlake and its portfolio companies.
Previously, Mr. Gutierrez served as Chief Investment Officer of Meruelo Group, the family office of US Latino business executive and Coyotes Chairman and Governor Alex Meruelo, and President & Chief Investment Officer of Meruelo Investment Partners, the firm’s investment affiliate. At Meruelo Group, Mr. Gutierrez oversaw investments and acquisitions, and was responsible for deal origination, underwriting, execution, and capital sourcing. He also helped lead the strategic management of 40-plus portfolio companies across industries including: Banking & Financial Services; Hospitality & Gaming; Media; Infrastructure; Restaurant & Food Services; Real Estate; Public Equity; and Private Equity.
Prior to Meruelo Group, Mr. Gutierrez was Principal & Managing Director with Phoenix Realty Group, a national real estate private equity firm managing approximately $1 billion in institutional capital from leading public pension funds, banks and insurance companies. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez has held positions with the law firm of Latham & Watkins, the investment bank Lehman Brothers, and worked as a financial analyst in the League Office of the National Football League.
Mr. Gutierrez currently serves on the Board of Directors for Janus International Corp (NYSE: JBI) and is a Board Advisor for Trinitas Capital Management (a privately held credit investment manager with $17 billion in assets under management). He was previously a Shareholder and served on the Board of Directors of Commercial Bank of California (CBC). CBC is a privately held, full-service commercial bank based in Los Angeles/Orange County with over $2 billion in assets, making it the largest Latino-owned bank in California.
In 2020, Mr. Gutierrez co-founded and currently serves as Board Chairman of SUMA Wealth (www.sumawealth.com), an innovative financial technology company focused on eliminating the Latinx wealth gap by engaging, educating, and empowering this cohort through culturally relevant content, financial tools and services.
In 2024, Mr. Gutierrez partnered with Guerrero Media and Hispanic Executive Magazine to launch LiS: Latinos in Sports (www.latinosinsports.com), a multi-strategy platform focused on the power of Latinos in the global sports industry via convenings, content, and careers.
Frequently sought after for speaking opportunities and media interviews, Mr. Gutierrez has been profiled in outlets including Bloomberg, ESPN, CNBC, Fast Company, Forbes, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. Mr. Gutierrez currently serves as a Professor of Practice in the Department of Finance at the Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of Business.
Mr. Gutierrez has been very active with several non-profit, academic, and philanthropic organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and Investment Committee for the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), a public charitable foundation managing approximately $2 billion in assets to improve the quality of life in Arizona by promoting and facilitating effective philanthropy. Mr. Gutierrez is also on the Board of Aspen Institute Latinos & Society Program Advisory Board which is committed to increasing Latino access to opportunity and inclusion in the economy by gathering diverse, nonpartisan thought leaders to address US Latino economic development. He also serves on the Advisory Board for Pro Sports Assembly, a community of leaders in professional sports, advancing diverse and inclusive leadership in teams, leagues and unions. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC), a Washington DC-based trade association founded in 1971 that serves as the largest network of diverse-owned and emerging private equity firms and hedge funds in the United States. Mr. Gutierrez also serves on the Advisory Council for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the national organization focused on providing financial support for US Latinos to pursue higher education. Also, Mr. Gutierrez serves on the Board of Directors for Teach for America, Arizona. Mr. Gutierrez proudly serves on Stanford Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Stanford Law School Board of Vistors, and the Board of Regents of his high school alma mater, Bellarmine College Preparatory (San Jose, CA).
From January 2016 until September 2017, Mr. Gutierrez was appointed and served as a voting member of the US Securities Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies, which provided a formal mechanism for the SEC to receive advice and recommendations on privately held small businesses and publicly traded companies with a market capitalization less than $250 million. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez previously served on the Board of Directors of Sizmek, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: SZMK), an advertising technology company.
Previously, Mr. Gutierrez served on the Board of Directors and Investment Committee for the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), a public charitable foundation managing approximately $1 billion in assets to improve the quality of life in Arizona by promoting and facilitating effective philanthropy. He also served as a member of the Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL), an organization of leading CEO’s in the business, education, philanthropy and public policy sectors to improve economic vitality and quality of life in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez was previously on the NHL's Executive Inclusion Council which is comprised of a group of owners, team presidents and general managers and focused on ensuring diversity and inclusion within the league's organizations. Mr. Gutierrez also has served on the Board of Directors and the Investment Committee of the California Community Foundation (CCF), a public charitable organization founded in 1915 that stewards nearly $1.7 billion in assets and manages more than 1,600 charitable foundations, funds and legacies for the greater Los Angeles community. In addition, Mr. Gutierrez served on the Board of Directors of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the national organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the 4million+ Hispanic/Latino-owned businesses in the United States. Mr. Gutierrez also previously served on the Board of Trustees for Southern California Public Radio, on the Board of Regents of Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, CA), the Board of the Harvard Club of Southern California, the Stanford Law School Board of Visitors and the Young Alumni Committee of the Harvard Alumni Association.
Mr. Gutierrez is a proud graduate of Bellarmine College Preparatory, an all-boys Jesuit high school in San Jose, California. He received his Bachelor of Arts (AB) cum laude in Government from Harvard University, and his Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) from Stanford Law School. Mr. Gutierrez, his wife Jericca, and son Xavi live in Paradise Valley, Arizona.