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The Daily OrangeEx-Playboy CEO to talk management
By Amy Su
Posted: 11/4/09, 3:56 AM EST Section: News
When Christie Hefner was chairwoman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., she never thought she would be involved with the academic world.
But Wednesday night, Hefner will get that chance. The daughter of the founder and chief creative officer of Playboy, Hugh Hefner, will visit Syracuse University Wednesday to deliver a lecture to students titled "Transforming a Business, Transforming a Life" at 7 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse III.
"For 20 years, she was one of the leading CEOs of one of the most famous entertainment companies with one of the most recognized brands in the country," said David Rubin, the former dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and current communications professor, who arranged for Hefner's visit.
Rubin first tried to schedule her visit to SU in June 2008, he said.
Rubin said Hefner is one of the best people to speak to students about the challenges leading entertainment companies face with the digital revolution. He also said she is able to share what it's like being a woman leading an expansive entertainment company like Playboy.
From 1988 to 2009, Hefner oversaw the global expansion of Playboy's legendary brand to a wide array of new platforms and markets, transforming a domestic publishing-based business into a global multimedia and lifestyle company. Under her leadership, the company saw the development of Playboy.com, which made Playboy the first national magazine on the World Wide Web.
SU students said they hope to hear more on her personal and business experiences, as well as the challenges she encountered when her father put her in charge of Playboy.
"I think she offers a different way to look at business," said James Barrett, a freshman communications design major. "I expect to hear her personal experience and mistakes she has made on the way."
In addition, Hefner will discuss brand management and the special challenges that come with managing the Playboy brand, which are unusual, Rubin said.
Audrey Hicks, an undeclared freshman, said she finds the choice of speaker to be a strange one.
"It's Playboy. It's something not really professional and something not really academic," Hicks said. "Maybe she has some good pointers, but I feel like they should have someone more professional."
Rubin said Hefner is a very distinguished guest to bring to Newhouse to help educate students.
"She is based in Chicago," he said. "Most students in the U.S. would never get the chance to meet her if we don't bring her here."
In addition to her lecture, Hefner will also meet with several classes and clubs at Newhouse and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
"I'm hoping there will be also a lot of Whitman students there because she has as much to say to management students as she does to Newhouse students, maybe even more to management students," Rubin said.
csu07@syr.edu
But Wednesday night, Hefner will get that chance. The daughter of the founder and chief creative officer of Playboy, Hugh Hefner, will visit Syracuse University Wednesday to deliver a lecture to students titled "Transforming a Business, Transforming a Life" at 7 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse III.
"For 20 years, she was one of the leading CEOs of one of the most famous entertainment companies with one of the most recognized brands in the country," said David Rubin, the former dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and current communications professor, who arranged for Hefner's visit.
Rubin first tried to schedule her visit to SU in June 2008, he said.
Rubin said Hefner is one of the best people to speak to students about the challenges leading entertainment companies face with the digital revolution. He also said she is able to share what it's like being a woman leading an expansive entertainment company like Playboy.
From 1988 to 2009, Hefner oversaw the global expansion of Playboy's legendary brand to a wide array of new platforms and markets, transforming a domestic publishing-based business into a global multimedia and lifestyle company. Under her leadership, the company saw the development of Playboy.com, which made Playboy the first national magazine on the World Wide Web.
SU students said they hope to hear more on her personal and business experiences, as well as the challenges she encountered when her father put her in charge of Playboy.
"I think she offers a different way to look at business," said James Barrett, a freshman communications design major. "I expect to hear her personal experience and mistakes she has made on the way."
In addition, Hefner will discuss brand management and the special challenges that come with managing the Playboy brand, which are unusual, Rubin said.
Audrey Hicks, an undeclared freshman, said she finds the choice of speaker to be a strange one.
"It's Playboy. It's something not really professional and something not really academic," Hicks said. "Maybe she has some good pointers, but I feel like they should have someone more professional."
Rubin said Hefner is a very distinguished guest to bring to Newhouse to help educate students.
"She is based in Chicago," he said. "Most students in the U.S. would never get the chance to meet her if we don't bring her here."
In addition to her lecture, Hefner will also meet with several classes and clubs at Newhouse and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
"I'm hoping there will be also a lot of Whitman students there because she has as much to say to management students as she does to Newhouse students, maybe even more to management students," Rubin said.
csu07@syr.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Monty Jordan III
posted 11/04/09 @ 9:45 AM EST
Typical freshman response. She has transformed something that takes hundreds of organized people to do each day into the categories of not professional and not academic because of the type of business that playboy does. (Continued…)
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