Gutierrez became the first Latino President and CEO in the NHL when he joined the Coyotes in June 2020 after spending 20-plus years as a business executive, investor, and dealmaker focused on investment management, corporate strategy & operations, finance, and business development.
He attended the oldest secondary school in California, Bellarmine College Preparatory, and then received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University followed by his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Stanford Law School.
He's no stranger to breaking barriers, and he shattered the NHL ceiling after he was named the president and CEO of the Coyotes.
"It is a reflection of Alex Meruelo and his approach to put people in positions of decision-making that are diverse and focused on the diverse consumer that we're trying to reach, so it starts with him" Gutierrez said. "It's also an opportunity for me to leverage this platform so that I'm opening doors for others, and I'm making decisions to bring diverse voices to the seat of this decision making.
"Sports is a very high profile business, and it punches above its weight in terms of the impact you can make, and by having diverse representation in the club, diverse representation in the sport of hockey with our players, with our coaches, with our trainers, with everything that we do, it's an honor to be able to be the person that really helps bring and effectuate that change for the better."
Gutierrez said regardless of what stage of life he has been in his heritage has been ever present. He was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and moved to the United States when he was five years old. Though his family first arrived in Los Angeles they eventually settled in San Jose, and both he and his family worked hard to overcome the many challenges that they were faced with.
Through everything, Gutierrez has always kept his culture and heritage at the top of mind. It goes beyond those traditions he holds dear, such as the food, the music, and the culture he shares as a family and an extended family.
It has impacted how he can elevate others, as well.
"I'm an immigrant to this country, and I've been able to live the American dream, and now I've been put in a position where I can help others live the American dream," he said. "Education has been the agent of social change for me, and has been the key to both my professional and personal accomplishments. It's been the driver of everything I've been able to experience and the blessings that I've had.
"I've embraced it. I've never shied away, and I've always been unapologetic for who I am and what I value. I've also been very, very humble in the blessings that I've been able to enjoy."
That he is part of an organization that has the first Hispanic owner in the NHL just furthers his belief in the power of sports, and the platform he has to help. Joining an NHL team being led by a Latino owner furthers his belief in the power of sports and the unique platform that sports has.
"I have an incredible amount of respect for Alex (Meruelo) because he is someone who built his success, who worked for it all. It's rooted in work, it's rooted in family, it's rooted in a single-mindedness to not accept when people tell you there's no way to accomplish it," Gutierrez said. "I have deep respect for Alex, who I consider family, and I have a desire to see him and his family continue to succeed because I know that they will continue to provide opportunities for others.
"He came to me and said "I want to win. I want to bring a Stanley Cup to The Valley, and I'm not going to stop until I do that. But we want to stand for more than that. We want to stand for an organization that is embracing and welcoming of every person in this community, and that is focused on truly leveraging the power of sports to make a difference in the lives of everyone."
