CHICAGO — Playboy Enterprises chief executive Christie Hefner, left, will resign next month to devote more time to public service after spending two decades running the magazine company her father founded. Hefner, 56, who is also stepping down as chairman, will remain on the board until a replacement CEO is found, the company said Monday. Jerome Kern, who joined Playboy’s board of directors in 2002, will serve as interim nonexecutive chairman.
Hefner joined Playboy in 1975 and rose to CEO in 1988, shepherding the bunny brand into TV, video and the Internet. The recession and a drop in ad spending led Playboy to a $5.2 million loss in the third quarter.
“I’ve long planned to spend part of my life doing things other than corporate life,” Hefner said.
Bloomberg News; Denver Post file photo
