Christie Hefner addresses new TMP women's business club

	© Nathan Mandell Playboy Enterprises CEO Christie Hefner shares business advice with TMP students.

For its inaugural speaking engagement in February, the Women's Business Association of The Managers' Program (TMP-WBA) set out to recruit an accomplished female executive whose name and reputation would draw a crowd and put the newly formed Kellogg club in the spotlight.

Christie Hefner, chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., turned out to be the perfect choice.

Hefner addressed a diverse group of Kellogg students at Wieboldt Hall, 340 E. Superior St. in Chicago, sharing insights about leading an international media company in a dynamic era of consolidation and convergence. Much of the discussion focused on her company's current business strategy, but Hefner offered advice and anecdotes that relate to management challenges in any industry. Hefner emphasized the importance of "recognizing your colleagues' individual needs," underscoring the theme that interpersonal skills are what can ultimately determine success or failure in business.

The TMP-WBA leadership shared the student audience's enthusiasm for its first speaker: "While much of our club programming aims to serve the interests of TMP women, the goal of our speaker series is to enhance the whole Kellogg community by inviting dynamic women business leaders to share their knowledge and unique experience in an interactive forum," said Joellen Hillberry, president and co-founder of TMP-WBA.

TMP-WBA formed in 2000 with a mission of supporting the academic, professional and social endeavors of women in The Managers' Program.