His father was born in Mexico with Spanish ancestry and worked as a fish wholesaler.
[1] His mother was an Irish immigrant who worked part-time as department store clerk.
Prior to joining Sears, Martinez worked for several companies, including RCA Records.
[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] In 1995, Arthur Martinez was honored with an Edison Achievement Award for his commitment to innovation throughout his career.
[18] They had one daughter and a son: Martinez and his wife are residents of Greenwich, Connecticut, where he also served on a variety of nonprofit boards.