#41 Tracey Barton

Deluxe/Safeguard (asi/316203) – Director of Promotional Products

2021 Rank: #42

Industry Experience: 20 years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 4

Leading a team of 15 merchandisers that support the Deluxe enterprise and Safeguard franchises, (over 200 in the U.S. and 30 in Canada), Barton moves up a spot on this year’s Power 50 list. Though promo revenue was down 7% in 2021 due to PPE sales drying up, 2022 has been healthier, with Barton predicting better numbers than were seen even in 2019 for core business.

During a panel at ASI Show Fort Worth this year, Barton noted that the Top 40 firm’s customers in the hospitality, travel, education and healthcare markets are revived and igniting stronger sales. Her team’s strategy of staying in constant communication during the downtime paid off. However, with the supply chain challenges that saw products available one day only to be gone the next, reps had to “sell, then re-sell and re-sell again,” she said during the panel discussion. Coaching clients to give multiple choices for products, and also educating them on the issues dealing with costs, transportation and inventory, helped the process.

In April, Deluxe was named one of America’s most trust­worthy companies by Newsweek, and the company announced a multiyear contract with Porsche North America to pro­vide promo solutions. Barton has also aligned the firm socially as it invests heavily in its diversity programs.