Christie Hefner, whose visionary leadership brought Playboy Enterprise's iconic brand into the Digital Age and launched a global licensing empire, shares her insights on anticipating –– and embracing –– seismic change. As chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises, Christie Hefner oversaw policy, management and strategy in all areas of the company for two decades. After working as a journalist for a year, Hefner joined Playboy in 1975. In 1988, she was named chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)–listed international media and entertainment company. During her tenure, Hefner recapitalized the company, making it the first NYSE corporation allowed to issue a second class of stock with disparate voting rights. She restructured operations and initiated the company's highly successful electronic and international expansions. Extending its magazine franchise overseas, Playboy now is available in 25 localized foreign editions and is the best-selling magazine in both the U.S. and the world. In her role as chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises, Hefner spoke to audiences around the world on the creation of brands and global multichannel marketing, the merits and benefits of developing and running a family business, women leaders and women in business, how to create a successful international business model, the ever-evolving media and its importance, First Amendment rights and their commercial impact, and insight into the American consumer. Hefner is a passionate advocate of freedom of expression, social justice, and equal rights and opportunities for women. She is involved in many important community service initiatives for HIV/AIDS, First Amendment rights and women's empowerment. Hefner has distinguished herself as a committed HIV/AIDS activist, dedicating time and resources to many AIDS-related programs. She spent four years as project board chairman for the CORE Center and raised $30 million to build this innovative clinic and research facility. The CORE Center conducts clinical research and provides prevention education and outpatient care for people with HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases. A strong advocate for freedom of choice, Hefner has promoted equal rights and opportunities for women in both the political and corporate realms. She was the first woman elected to the Chicago chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization and has worked hard to increase the number of women serving on corporate boards nationwide. As part of that effort, she has served as a panelist at Foley & Lardner's nationally renowned annual National Directors Institute. In 1991, Hefner was inducted into the Women's Business Development Center Hall of Fame for "opening doors and building opportunities for all women entrepreneurs." Hefner was born in Chicago in 1952. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year of college, she graduated from Brandeis University summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and American literature in 1974. Titles Successful Business Strategies for Tough Times From Brand to Icon The Only Woman at the Table Dads and Dynasties: The Challenges of Running a Family Business Transformation: How to Envision It, Achieve It and Embrace It Topics Celebrity, Women, Business Click topic above to see more speakers on that topic Speaker's Asking Fee Range Please call us. Click on fee range to see more speakers. This is the starting keynote fee range - other programs may be higher. State IL Click on state above to see more speakers from that state. Fees The fee range quoted means the speaker's fee starts somewhere within that range. Note that speaker's fees are subject to change and some speakers may have special fee quotes.