REAL President and CEO Rick Bennett quits after very brief tenure

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Saskatchewan

Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) President and CEO Rick Bennett is quitting aft little than 5 months, citing ‘personal and household reasons.’

Less than 5 months person passed since Bennett's appointment

Alex Kozroski · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 3:53 PM EST | Last Updated: November 6

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Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) President and CEO Rick Bennett is quitting aft little than 5 months successful the position, citing "personal and household reasons."

The committee of directors overseeing the municipal corp made the announcement Thursday.

REAL committee seat Jaime Boldt was quoted successful a connection that said thing astir the crushed for the CEO’s abrupt exit.

The committee is re-appointing Trent Fraser arsenic its acting president and CEO, a relation helium held anterior to Bennett's little tenure. Fraser is presently the committee seat of Tourism Saskatchewan, and sits connected the committee of directors for SGI Canada.

“We convey Rick for his contributions to REAL and to the Regina community, and we privation him and his household well," Boldt said successful the statement. "We are assured successful Fraser’s quality to measurement close into the occupation and pb REAL implicit the adjacent fewer months.”

According to the statement, Boldt volition not marque immoderate further remark connected the "private and confidential reasons" for Bennett’s departure.

It's unclear whether the determination is connected to erstwhile controversies involving REAL’s fiscal stability.

Recent announcements by the accumulation relation see a multimillion-dollar Queen City Distillers analyzable task and the upcoming Foo Fighters performance acceptable for 2026.

A antheral successful a achromatic hooded sweatshirt and shot headdress stands astatine a microphone.

REAL archetypal announced Bennett's assignment connected June 9, saying his aboriginal absorption would see "financial stabilization, workforce engagement, stakeholder trust, and semipermanent planning."

The enactment plans to statesman the hunt for a caller CEO successful 2026.

REAL has been led by an interim CEO for much than 75 per cent of the past 2 years. Bennett's predecessor, Tim Reid, was fired connected Jan. 16, 2024.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Kozroski is simply a newsman with CBC News successful Regina. He has besides worked arsenic a newsman for Golden West Broadcasting successful Swift Current, Sask.

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