Urel Martinez

Urel Martinez, Chief Revenue Officer for the LA Galaxy

L.A. Galaxy Executive Named Alumnus of the Year

 Urel Martinez, a leader in the sports industry for two decades, has been named Mt. SAC’s Alumnus of the Year for 2025. Martinez is the Chief Revenue Officer for the LA Galaxy. He oversees all aspects of revenue generation—from ticket sales and partnerships to brand initiatives that reflect and engage the club’s diverse fanbase.

Before joining the Galaxy in 2017 and being named CRO in 2023, Martinez held leadership roles with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Clippers.

Long before his rise in professional sports, Martinez was a Wilson High School student living in La Puente, working summer jobs alongside his father, a gardener. While many of his classmates went straight to four-year universities after high school, Martinez enrolled at Mt. San Antonio College—a choice he now calls “the best thing for me.”

At Mt. SAC, he found support and guidance through the Summer Bridge program, a six-week program that supports recent graduating high school students in their transition to college life.

“I was able to meet like-minded students who had the same concerns and insecurities I had,” Martinez says. “As an 18-year-old, first-generation college student, that really set the foundation for everything. I realized I wasn’t alone—and that I could tackle anything that came my way.”

Martinez later transferred to UC Irvine, where as an Administration of Justice major, he excelled in his studies, thanks to the preparation he received at Mt. SAC.

“I’m extremely fortunate to be in the position I am today and to tell my story for others who might be in a similar situation,” he says. “Getting to work in professional sports, for someone who grew up living and breathing it, is a dream come true.”

His advice to students of all ages: “Dream big! Never limit yourself to the circumstances that you’re used to. Challenge yourself. If you want something, go out there and get it.  With hard work, discipline, and commitment, anything is possible, but you have to believe. No one else will believe for you. There will be challenges and there will be obstacles. If you want it bad enough, you can get it.”

Martinez was recently featured in Hispanic Executive magazine for his leadership and cultural impact in the sports industry.