Ray Barton

Ray Barton joined Great Clips, Inc. in 1983 as chief executive officer and became chairman of the board in 1997. Under his leadership, the Great Clips system grew from four salons in Minneapolis to more than 4,400 salons throughout the U.S. and Canada. Today, Great Clips is the world’s largest salon brand with over $1.4 billion in systemwide annual sales.

Ray has received numerous awards for exemplary business leadership: the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame Award (2007); the John F. Cade Award from the University of St. Thomas School of Law (2009); the Minnesota Business Ethics Award (2010); and the Junior Achievement Upper Midwest Business Hall of Fame Award (2017).

Currently, Ray is a member of the Board of Directors of HonorHealth in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has also held several other notable roles in community and business organizations. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota (now Children's Minnesota) and its foundation, the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, the American Association of Cosmetology Schools, and Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest (now Junior Achievement North). Additionally, he was chairman of the Children's Minnesota Foundation, vice chairman of the hospital and chairman of the hospital's board, and he was a member of the University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees and of the Board of TCF Financial Corporation.

He is a long-time member of the Young Presidents' Organization and past president of the Minnesota chapter of the World Presidents' Organization.

Ray graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in accounting.