#50 Tracey Barton

Deluxe/Safeguard (asi/178720/316203) – Director Merchandising – Promotional Solutions

2024 Rank: #46

Industry Experience: 23 years

Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 7

With Deluxe (asi/178720) celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2025, Tracey Barton (who drops four spots on this year’s list owing to lower influence scores from her Counselor Power 50 peers) says the promotional segment of the company has its eye on curating merchandise solutions that are “more relevant than ever.” Barton leads a team of merchandisers that support Counselor Top 40 distributor Deluxe/Safeguard (asi/316203), which began as a payment solutions provider and now serves a wide variety of verticals through more than 200 franchises across the U.S. “All aspects of the business are focused on making everything work smarter, faster and with more powerful connections,” she says.

However, the company faced challenges in 2025 surrounding the macroeconomic climate and increased tariffs; that followed a 6% sales decline in 2024, an anomaly after three straight years of growth for the company. Next year, Barton is aiming for Deluxe/Safeguard “to be and do better than what was done previously by creating a culture of innovation and looking for new ways to engage with customers, creating memorable experiences and deepening relationships.”