Playboy Enterprises announced Monday that Scott Flanders from Freedom Communications Inc. will replace Christie Hefner as CEO, and that he has been elected to the board of directors.
Flanders, 52, had been Freedom’s CEO and president for three years, coming to the newspaper chain from Columbia House Co. At Playboy, he will replace founder Hugh Hefner‘s daughter, who retired six months ago.
Playboy issued a statement on Monday stressing that Flanders helped expand online revenue and streamline operations at Freedom Communications, owner of the Orange County Register in Southern California, as well as other newspapers and TV stations.
Playboy has been under a financial crunch and cut staff at the New York and Los Angeles offices to avoid bankruptcy.