koroseal - Redefine Design by Koroseal

Meet the Creator: Trina Bennington

January 17, 2025

Meet the Creator: Trina Bennington

Vice President of Talent & Technology // Culture Creator

Behind every great design, is a team of great creators. Serving as a leader in both technology and human resources, Trina Bennington drives the evolution of Koroseal's teams through improved customer service and culture. As an organization, Koroseal is committed to providing our diverse teams a welcoming environment, as well as effective means to complete their work. By streamlining processes to drive efficiency, we can enable our teams to create more freely and effectively for our customers. Trina's pursuit of constant improvement helps better our systems, and our teams.

Trina's Creator Journey

Ever since she was a child, Trina has held a strong passion for technology. Her grandfather was an engineer and exposed Trina to computers at a young age, sparking her interest in utilizing tech to create effective outcomes. Using an old Apple computer from his living room computer lab, Trina's grandfather taught her basic algebra - which she loved. At just 13 years old, Trina began her first job, working on school computers during the summer, and preparing them for the upcoming school year. Trina did this each summer, continuing until after high school. She found the work fulfilling, and the experience set the foundation for her future career path in technology.

Trina's strong work ethic supported her growth at each step of her career. Through her resilience and determination, instilled by her parents, Trina earned her bachelor's degree and MBA over time; outside of the traditional college experience. After traveling the world, she ultimately returned home to Ohio to raise her family.

While working in IT for a previous employer, Trina was inspired by the leadership of her mentor and, then, CIO. He emphasized accountability, transparency, and compassion in leadership - traits she, too, holds highly in her leadership position today.

After joining Koroseal as our IT Leader in April 2017, Trina's role has expanded to include both IT and HR, allowing her to combine her passions for technology, improvement, and people. In addition to driving Koroseal's technology strategy to enhance the customer experience, and leading initiatives aimed at fostering a more inclusive workplace, Trina also serves on the board of directors for the Metro Wallcovering business where she supports their specific growth initiatives. In her dynamic role, Trina wears many hats; however, they all contribute to the creation of new systems and processes, helping to cultivate an effective and enjoyable work environment.

Creating an Improved Experience

Improving an organization's processes and systems directly improves the overall experience for its employees and customers. Trina embraces change, and failures, as a necessity to propel true progress.

"True growth happens when we break away from the comfort of 'the way we've always done it.' Every initiative, whether it's improving technology, or enhancing HR programs, is aimed at helping people succeed; which ultimately enables our external customers to achieve their goals."

Trina leads her teams by example, encouraging the act of taking risks, as well as being prepared if things don't go as planned. Her empathy and patience have become skills that she has grown into, and she has found that they help contribute to success. Trina learned the significance of empathy after becoming the legal guardian of her sister, who has severe mental illness. Supporting her sister taught Trina the importance of granting grace, and understanding the unseen battles people face. Trina has an organic interest in improving the lives of others. Volunteering for many years on nonprofit executive boards, and working in her local community, Trina has experienced firsthand how giving back can create lasting, positive change. Trina's love for philanthropy translates into her human-focused leadership at Koroseal. She recognizes that success and failure are strongly influenced by human relationships, and it is important above all else to be kind.

"Failure is a necessary stepping stone to success. Trying something new often means being bad at it initially—and that's okay. It's a reminder to grant grace and patience to those taking risks and innovating. "

As a former softball player and catcher herself, outside of work, Trina enjoys coaching young athletes and watching her players grow. She sees a direct correlation between the lessons learned on the ball field and the business world. The discipline, collaboration, and perseverance of successful softball teams are the same principles leveraged by successful business teams. Her team-focused approach at work helps to ignite team collaboration and ultimate success in creating a positive workplace and creative environment.

Whether Trina is driving Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion initiatives, or pursuing the latest technologically advancement for one of our systems, she is always willing to support the creation of something new for the benefit of our team.

Creating with Trina

We met with Trina to learn more about her approach and inspiration. See what else she had to say!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Trina: The people. There's nothing better than watching team members succeed, thrive, and achieve their goals. Supporting them by giving them space to be human, while also providing a clear path forward, is incredibly fulfilling.

How do you utilize innovation in your current role?

Trina: Innovation is foundational in technology, but it's equally essential in HR. We want to create engaging employee programs, and enhance benefits like healthcare and 401(k) matching to attract and retain talent. A particular focus for me is DE&I initiatives. With the majority of our workforce identifying as female, I am passionate about developing programs to empower women, and elevate diverse talent across the organization. Building a workplace where everyone feels valued and included is crucial to our success.

What is your favorite thing about Koroseal products?

Trina: Quite simply, our products are beautiful. Coming from a background in heavy industry, where my environment was dominated by steel and bearings, Koroseal's products inspire me. They have the power to transform spaces and elevate the energy of any room. I'm consistently blown away by the work of our digital teams. Their creativity and passion shine through every project, and the results speak for themselves. It's amazing to see how their art transforms spaces.

What is a hobby or interest that fuels your creativity?

Trina: I enjoy rehabbing old furniture. Although I don't have as much time for it now, the process of taking something worn and outdated, and transforming it into something beautiful and unique is incredibly rewarding. Seeing a project through from start to finish and having a tangible result is deeply satisfying.

What are you most looking forward to in the future of Koroseal?

Trina: The growth—across every dimension! I'm excited to see how the business expands in the U.S. and Canada, while continuing to evolve our culture and strengthen our team. Watching both the company and its people reach new heights is something I genuinely look forward to.