Rooted in Art.
Driven by Innovation.

Meet The Team

Leading with vision.
Honoring creative heritage.

The Bennett
Leadership Team

Bennett Awards is led by a family team with fine art in their DNA. Founder Bob Bennett - who launched the company with his wife, Alice, after decades in bronze sculpture and gallery work - guided its evolution from a Main Street art gallery into a dedicated recognition studio more than 20 years ago. Very early on, when clients began purchasing bronze sculptures as high-end awards, Bob recognized a deeper need: organizations were seeking premium, art-grade recognition that didn’t exist in the traditional trophy market. That insight reshaped the company’s trajectory almost immediately. Custom awards have been the core of Bennett’s work ever since, now representing more than 90% of what we create.

Today, alongside his son Graham, Bob continues to steward the company’s financial strategy, long-term vision, and creative heritage, ensuring Bennett Awards remains a leader in bespoke, artist-led recognition.

Together, Bob and Graham lead with a clear philosophy: recognition should be meaningful, beautifully designed, and fully on brand. They believe the quality of an award shapes not just how a recipient feels, but what it says about the organization giving it. That’s why Bennett Awards has shifted from selling in-stock pieces to creating almost entirely custom designs that embody a client’s values, aesthetics, and story. With a deep respect for artistic integrity, the leadership team champions strong, modern design and a truly collaborative process - treating every project with the same care they bring to large-scale sculptures and public art.

The leadership team is also relentlessly future-focused. Bob’s and Graham’s background in tech and startups informs Bennett’s willingness to experiment, adopt new technologies like 3D printing early, and stay on the cutting edge of materials and methods - all while maintaining uncompromising standards for quality. Sustainability is a core lens for decision-making, from manufacturing partners to material choices, as Bob and Graham work to create lasting pieces without leaving a heavy footprint. Under their guidance, Bennett Awards is investing in an expanded, industry-leading design team and building a brand that clients and recipients can recognize at a glance - so that one day, when someone sees an extraordinary award on a shelf, they’ll simply say, “That’s a Bennett.”

Designing with artistry.
Innovating without limits.

The Bennett Design Studio

The Bennett Awards design team blends fine-art heritage with industrial design, storytelling, and advanced manufacturing. Together, they turn client ideas into meaningful, art-driven recognition.

Technologically, the team is fearless. Led by Design Director Ryan Rivas - whose background spans architecture, advanced manufacturing, and a long lineage of design - the studio blends artistry with experimentation. Five-axis machining, 3D printing, robotics, casting, and deep material expertise allow them to execute at any scale, from tabletop pieces to monumental public works. They also specialize in working with fully recycled and sustainable materials - including eco-friendly acrylics and custom low-impact finishes - a growing area of innovation that sets Bennett apart and will continue to expand. This is a team that respects the heritage of fine art but isn’t afraid to subvert tradition when innovation creates something extraordinary.

Culturally, the studio is unusually open, diverse, and ego-free. A predominantly female team and a design director who values curiosity and creative safety create an environment where ideas flow easily and designers can take risks. It feels more like a jazz ensemble than a traditional design shop: different voices, shared rhythm, one cohesive result.

Guiding every vision.
Delivering meaningful recognition.

The Bennett Sales & Account Management Team

The Bennett Awards sales team is where every client journey begins - grounded in clarity, creativity, and a deep commitment to service. Led by Sales Director, Karen McCrea, the team blends warm guidance with expert problem-solving to help clients navigate their first custom award experience with confidence. Many clients arrive unsure of what’s possible, but the sales team specializes in expanding their vision. Through thoughtful conversations and close collaboration with design, they illuminate just how customizable and expressive an award can be, often sparking “aha” moments as clients discover new materials, techniques, and creative pathways they didn’t know existed.

Behind the scenes, the sales team is in constant motion, shepherding every detail from concept to completion. Karen and her team monitor projects daily, coordinating with sculptors, metal fabricators, engravers, and layout specialists to ensure each element is executed flawlessly. In every case, the goal is to create peace of mind: a sense that their award, timeline, and vision are fully supported.

What anchors the Bennett Awards sales team is a shared belief in meaningful recognition and a genuine care for the people they serve. Their greatest reward is watching excitement build as a project comes to life - and ultimately delivering a piece that isn’t just an award, but a story, a symbol, and a lasting work of art carrying the unmistakable Bennett signature.

  • A woman with blonde hair, wearing a black blazer and jeans, seated on a white chair, smiling, next to a round wooden table with a small metallic art sculpture of a character on it.

    Karen McCrea

    SALES DIRECTOR

  • A woman with blonde, wavy hair smiling at the camera, wearing a black top, blue blazer, and a pearl necklace against a white background.

    Kim Remeto-Spacek

    SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

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  • A woman with long dark wavy hair, light skin, and makeup, wearing a plaid sweater over a white button-up shirt, standing against a plain white background.

    Summer Ikeda

    SALES DEVELOPMENT

  • Portrait of a woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing black-rimmed glasses, a black leather jacket, a white shirt, and a black sweater, smiling against a white background.

    Carmen Leal

    ACCOUNT MANAGER

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, light skin, blue eyes, and a nose piercing, wearing a gray plaid jacket over a white shirt, against a plain white background.

    Rachel Rus

    ACCOUNT MANAGER

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  • A woman with blonde curly hair wearing a black blazer, white shirt, and jeans, holding silver headphones and smiling.

    Rachel Young

    ACCOUNT MANAGER

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, blue eyes, wearing a checkered blazer and a white blouse, smiling slightly, against a plain white background.

    Bethany Cooley

    ACCOUNT MANAGER

Crafting the impossible.
Excellence through collaboration.

The Bennett Production
& Operations Teams

The Bennett Awards production team transforms never-before-made concepts into precise, beautifully crafted awards. Led by Directors Perry Tow & Jonnie Saich, the team prepares deeply before any build begins: reviewing project stories, testing materials, practicing techniques, and identifying the tools or processes needed to execute each unique design. Because many of our pieces have no precedent, problem-solving and creative adaptation are part of our daily rhythm.

Collaboration is the backbone of our workflow. New projects are discussed across production, design, and sales so everyone understands the vision and potential challenges from the start. This cross-functional planning ensures smooth handoffs, tighter timelines, and solutions that honor both the design intent and the client's story. Whether we’re machining aluminum, 3D printing wax patterns, pouring acrylic, or engraving fine details, we carry a shared commitment to excellence.

What sets the team apart is a culture of fearlessness, craftsmanship, and care. We embrace new materials and techniques, refine relentlessly, and hold ourselves to a level of detail recipients may never notice - but that defines the Bennett standard. From one-of-a-kind sculptures to high-volume production runs, the team delivers with precision, accountability, and cradle-to-grave customer service.

  • A smiling man wearing glasses and a dark blue button-up shirt, facing the camera, with a white background.

    Perry Tow

    PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

  • A woman with blonde hair wearing a black sweater, colorful plaid scarf, blue jeans, and brown boots holding a white heron sculpture in her hands, smiling, against a plain white background.

    Jonnie Saich

    OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

  • A woman with long red hair, wearing a black hat, black jacket, olive-green shirt, blue jeans, and black ankle boots, sitting on a white chair against a white background.

    Lydia Wallace

    OPERATIONS

  • A man dressed in black holding an award with a fish design on it, standing against a plain white background.

    Matthew Tucker

    PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE LEAD

  • A man in casual clothing holding a black sculpture with a spiraled shape in front of a white background.

    Frank Seifert

    OPERATIONS

Story builds trust.
Branding becomes experience.

The Bennett Marketing Team

The Bennett Awards marketing team blends brand strategy, storytelling, visual identity, and digital innovation. Under the direction of Sarah Swedlow, the team shapes how the world experiences Bennett - translating the company’s fine-art heritage into a modern, premium, emotionally resonant brand presence. Search, paid media, SEO, content, social, and high-end creative all converge into a single, intentional ecosystem. Sarah leads a multidisciplinary approach that mirrors the design studio’s ethos: experiment boldly, refine relentlessly, honor the craft. Her strategic direction has ushered in elevated branding, cinematic creative, clearer messaging, and a more cohesive digital footprint - while staying rooted in the creative heritage that makes Bennett distinct.

  • A woman with long brown hair wearing a black suit and tan high heels, sitting sideways on an office chair against a white background.

    Sarah Swedlow

    MARKETING DIRECTOR

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    spotify

  • A woman with blonde hair wearing a black sweater, colorful plaid scarf, blue jeans, and brown boots holding a white heron sculpture in her hands, smiling, against a plain white background.

    Toni Schiffmaier

    PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER

A trophy with two interlocking rings, a red button on one ring, and a black base with the Porsche logo and text about a preservation challenge award for 2024.

Start Your Custom Award Journey

Let's transform your recognition vision into lasting reality. Our team is ready to guide you through every step of creating awards your recipients will treasure for decades.

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