A team of new C-Suite appointments drives plans for sustainable growth, culture, and innovation.
April 18, 2024 — BUCK, a leading global design company, has named Emily Rickard Chief Executive Officer (CEO) alongside three new C-Suite appointments. The move underscores BUCK’s commitment to deliver best-in-class creative while fostering a sustainable creative culture for its 400-plus team members around the globe.
A 25-year industry veteran, Emily joined BUCK in 2012 as a producer. She rose through the ranks over a decade, eventually becoming President to shepherd the company through the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, BUCK opened new offices in Amsterdam and London, won its second Emmy, and launched their very first game, Let’s! Revolution!. The celebrated design powerhouse also launched new practices including strategy, brand; experiential and immersive design to elevate the studio's overarching brand experience offering.
In 2023, Emily oversaw the opening of BUCK’s new global headquarters in Los Angeles’s Little Tokyo. The 48,000 sq ft studio spans 4 floors of flexible work, play, and collaborative spaces for 150+ BUCKers, creative partners, and clients. The new office has achieved LEED Gold certification for its green building standards, working to embody healthy and efficient spaces for BUCK talent to work in harmony with the planet.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to lead BUCK forward alongside my incredible team. Their dedication fuels my passion for our shared mission—to create a safe space for artists to take risks, learn new things, and make the best work of their lives. We are always curious, adapting and exploring new capabilities, executing work to our highest standards of excellence, making us one of the most trusted creative partners to brands. Ryan, Orion, and Jeff built a beautiful thing 20 years ago, and it's an immense privilege to have their trust to lead BUCK on to what may be its most innovative chapter yet.”
Emily Rickard, Chief Executive Officer, BUCK
Prior to BUCK, Emily’s career drew on her schooling in journalism and filmmaking, spanning an array of international markets and disciplines, including animation, motion design, live action production, and brand systems creation for blue chip clients across the US, Europe, and Australia. Seasoned in both long-form and commercial content, Emily has worked with dozens of leading brands like Apple, Meta, Google, Airbnb, Nike, Netflix, and Sony Pictures Animation.
Joining Emily in the C-Suite are senior staffers Ben Langsfeld, Kevin Walker, and Nick Carmen:
- Ben Langsfeld has been promoted to the role of BUCK’s Chief Design Officer. As Chief Design Officer, Ben will oversee how the BUCK brand is experienced inside and outside the studio. This includes driving design standards across all work, establishing BUCK’s guiding principles, and ensuring people, processes, and behaviors are aligned with both short and long-term goals. Ben joined BUCK in its first year as an art director and has shaped the company through client work, relationships, and initiatives like GOODS by BUCK, a platform for BUCK artists to create products for the greater good.
- Kevin Walker has been promoted to the role of Chief Creative Officer, overseeing BUCK’s creative output, building BUCK’s offerings, and nurturing client relationships. Kevin has been at BUCK for over 11 years, working alongside and championing a world-class team of creative thinkers and doers. He has long sought to balance design and technology to create deeply impactful work that extends into culture.
- Nick Carmen has been promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer, working across the company to balance creative excellence and culture with financial performance. Nick joined BUCK over 8 years ago as a producer, most recently serving as Global Head of Production. His focus has been on building meaningful client relationships, innovating processes, and deepening global integration.
L-R: Ben Langsfeld, Kevin Walker, Nick Carmen
BUCK’s new C-Suite team is now comprised of:
- Emily Rickard, Chief Executive Officer
- Ben Langsfeld, Chief Design Officer
- Kevin Walker, Chief Creative Officer
- Nick Carmen, Chief Operations Officer
- Jan Jensen, Chief Talent Officer
- John Kleber, Chief Technology Officer
- Wade Milne, Chief Financial Officer
Established in 2004, BUCK is celebrating its 20th year in business. With roots in motion design, BUCK has organically grown into an industry leader that weaves art, design, strategy, and technology into powerful brand expressions across all modern surfaces. BUCK’s trophy case includes over 200 top honors from Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Art Directors Club, Clios, The Webbys, and the NAACP Image Awards, among many others.
In the entertainment industry, BUCK contributed to the opening sequence of Oscar-nominated 2023 animated feature film “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse”. Recently, BUCK won its second Emmy for "We the People," made in collaboration with the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions and Netflix, and launched its first game, “Let's! Revolution!,” to resounding critical acclaim.
In 2022, BUCK created Residence, a network to champion best-in-class work while empowering the community that makes it possible. The nine companies currently in Residence include a mix of creative companies, community-focused organizations, and media platforms.
About BUCK
BUCK is a global creative company that combines design, technology, and storytelling to create compelling experiences for brands. Founded in 2004, BUCK has built a reputation for outstanding craftsmanship and innovation through collaboration with a wide range of clients across the cultural and technology spheres, including Nike, Apple, Netflix, IBM, Airbnb, and Google. Recognized as an industry leader, BUCK’s trophy case includes two Emmys, multiple gold Cannes Lions, Clios, pencils, cubes, and over 200 other awards from the most prestigious competitions in the world.
BUCK is in Residence, a collective of beautifully curated companies with the shared goal of empowering creative potential.
