The Coyotes have announced that Xavier Gutierrez is the team’s new president, CEO and alternate governor. He is the first person of Latino descent to hold those positions with an NHL team.
“I am very proud to name Xavier as the first Latino team President and CEO in NHL history,” said Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, the league’s first-ever Latino owner. “This is a historic day for the Coyotes and the entire NHL. I have known Xavier for over a decade, and he is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of business and investment experience. We share the same approach to business and his intellect, leadership skills, and strategic mindset made him the clear choice to be our new CEO. He is a leader with tremendous vision and integrity, and I have the utmost confidence that he can help the Coyotes become a world class organization on and off the ice.”
Gutierrez was most recently with private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group as managing director. According to the Coyotes, he “has a 20-plus-year career as a business executive, investor and dealmaker focused on investment management, corporate strategy and operations, finance, and business development.”
Prior to his time at Clearlake, Gutierrez was part of Meruelo’s other businesses, serving as Chief Investment Officer of the Meruelo Group, and was President and Chief Investment Officer of Meruelo Investment Partners.
Gutierrez, who replaces Ahron Cohen in the role, becomes the Coyotes’ eighth president since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.