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Counselor Power 50 2024: No. 10 Jay Deutsch, BDA

Welcome to the 2024 Counselor Power 50 list, which ranks the most influential people in the industry.

Jay Deutsch illustration

#10 Jay Deutsch

BDA (asi/137616) – CEO

2023 Rank: #12

Industry Experience: 41 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 18

The leader of Counselor Top 40 distributor BDA cracks the top 10 of the Counselor Power 50 list for the first time in over a decade. Deutsch’s ascension is rooted in the industry’s growing globalization shift – a trend that Deutsch has been on the forefront of for years. BDA expanded its reach again this year in Europe by acquiring UK-headquartered The Great Branding Company, one of the continent’s leading sports merchandise providers.

The sports market is core to BDA’s identity ever since Deutsch founded the company 40 years ago, and he’s held true to that again this year. BDA will continue to serve as the official partner of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties through the LA 2028 Games, working on activation of official USOPP partners and co-branded merchandise around the Games. The Woodinville, WA-headquartered firm also facilitated branded collaborations between Mattel’s “Barbie” brand and Major League Baseball and the WNBA, and just announced that it will serve as the Seattle Seahawks’ official branded merchandise partner in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Aside from the sporting world, though, BDA furthered its environmental mission, achieving a gold-level rating from EcoVadis, and Deutsch has continued his mission for cancer awareness as a board member of the Pacific Northwest’s CEO’S Against Cancer and the American Cancer Society.