Tricia Barrett is the Chief Executive Officer at Crowley Webb and Praxis. Recognized in Business First’s Power 200 (ranked as high as #62), she serves on boards including United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, Buffalo Prep, and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. A Buffalo native, she studied communications at John Carroll University, and once completed a semester at sea on a 134-foot sailboat.
Highlights include
- Buffalo beginnings & education: Elmwood Franklin, Buffalo Seminary, Williamsville South; communications at John Carroll; life-changing Semester at Sea.
- Early career in advertising: Client service at The Wolf Group (Cleveland & Rochester), working on Dirt Devil, Wegmans, and tourism.
- Coming home to Buffalo: Joining Crowley Webb; learning from agency legends and a culture built on loyalty and longevity.
- Acquiring Praxis: Why Crowley Webb took the “unusual” leap to acquire a client (2010), Tricia’s shift into operations, and the art + science + skill model that followed.
- From creative boutique to analytics leader: Building a 10-person analytics team; proving and predicting performance rather than “throwing it at the wall.”
- Leading through COVID: Stepping up as a people-first leader; Praxis’s role in recruiting for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine trial; rapid, responsible growth.
- AI & the next 40 years: Embracing AI across departments, repurposing talent, hiring for new roles (yes, even TikTok specialists), and keeping an independent edge.
- Brand experiences & content: Event activations like Highmark’s Bills fan storytelling trailer, capturing 800+ fan stories.
- Service & community: Social justice focus; being intentional with board service and time outside work.
- Personal notes: Travel, time on the water, hockey-aunt life, learning golf...and a two truths gem: fly-fishing with President Carter.
Key Takeaways
- Purposeful > reactive: Strategic pauses and intentional choices lead to durable growth.
- Sometimes tried-and-true wins: Refining proven processes can outperform constant reinvention.
- Greatest risk can be not taking one: Crowley Webb’s acquisition of Praxis reshaped the agency.
- Art + science drives results: Creativity lands harder when paired with analytics and proof.
- Leaders serve first: Tricia’s mantra (“Serve”) guided COVID-era leadership and culture.
- Careers aren’t ladders anymore: Think jungle gym - lateral moves, new skills, evolving roles.
- Embrace AI thoughtfully: Use it to elevate thinkers, efficiency, and client outcomes—not replace judgment.
