The fall is a unique time in the sports entertainment industry as nearly every single team is either wrapping up or just starting their season. However, for arena facility managers, this season can prove to be overwhelming, stressful and rewarding – regardless of whether the team wins or not. No one understands this more than Ignacio Guerra, head of operations for Player 15 Group, which is home to the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury.
Initially beginning his career as a chemistry teacher and sports coach, Guerra first stumbled upon facilities management after working at the Hollywood Bowl in parking, transportation and operations. When the Staples Center – now the Crypto.com Arena - first opened in 1999, he worked part-time after school, with the intention of paying off student loans quickly and providing for his family. For the next two years, he worked part time until a full-time position opened in the parking department. As the company grew, so did his career. During his time, he helped open the now named Dignity Health Sports Park and other new facilities. He helped grow major events like Coachella, Stagecoach and Desert Trip. During these days, Guerra would volunteer to take construction meetings and help summarize and prioritize projects for management. Eventually, when L.A. Live was completed in 2010, Guerra was promoted to vice president at the Arena and Crypto.com Arena. In 2018, he took over operations for the arena, helping ensure the facility’s vitality during the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020. Upon reopening in 2021, he was promoted to senior vice president. In the last four years, he helped start major renovations within the facility until his departure when an opportunity presented itself within the Player 15 Group.
Guerra is one of eight facility professionals to be named to FacilitiesNet’s fourth annual Facility Champion award. The Champions play a critical role in ensuring the efficient and effective operation of buildings across the country, all while exhibiting strong leadership and pride within the industry.
“It is a great honor for me to be named a Facility Champion,” Guerra says. “A Facility Champion never stops learning, and that's where I still find myself, being a lifelong learner. I am and always will be a champion to make others around me better, so I continue to do so in a new city but in the same industry.”
Ever since his teaching days, Guerra knew that facilities could only be as good as the people that maintained them. Failure to maintain the facility has long-term effects on the results and business operations. He quickly learned to make sure the highest standards are met and to keep staff motivated and invested to ensure that a facility does not easily give way to bad habits.
However, the COVID-19 effectively changed the way that facilities management operates forever. Guerra believes that even five years since facilities first initially shut down, there are still lasting effects. With a significant change in the work ethic, motivation, mental health of employees and productivity, it is up to leaders to broaden their skillset and prepare themselves to deal with a more challenging workforce.
“The biggest lesson I have learned is that there is no easy ladder to climb,” Guerra says. “In fact, I truly believe that it is more of a rock wall than it is a ladder. Everyone wants to move up, but they don’t always see the path. I found in my career that I had to think like a rock climber. See other options, look for safe footing if you can, slide sideways if needed, and always be ready to make a giant leap and hold on tight. Being nimble, hungry, and a lifelong learner has helped me navigate the path to rise from a part-time employee to rising all the way to senior vice president and running the whole operation of an iconic facility.”
Guerra is the final 2025 Facility Champions who will be profiled on FacilitiesNet leading up to the webcast, “FM Innovation and Evolution: A Facility Champions Discussion” that will honor the recipients. The webcast will air on November 6 at 1 p.m. ET on FacilitiesNet. You can register to view the webcast here.
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market and the host of the Facilities in Focus podcast.
