Leadership

Management Team

Ben Kohn
Chief Executive Officer, President & Director

Ben Kohn is responsible for leading PLBY Group’s global growth strategy and execution. He is focused on delivering sustainable, long-term growth and value creation for PLBY Group’s shareholders.

Kohn joined Playboy as Chief Executive Officer in January 2018, after having served as interim CEO of Playboy from May 2016 to December 2017. Kohn has served on Playboy’s Board of Directors since March 2011. From 2004 to December 2018, Kohn served as a Managing Partner at the private equity firm Rizvi Traverse where he led the successful buyouts of major media and entertainment companies, including taking Playboy private in 2011.

Prior to his time at Rizvi Traverse, Kohn was a Vice President at Angelo, Gordon & Co., where he focused on private equity and special situations. Kohn started his career at Cowen & Company in the Mergers and Acquisitions group. Mr. Kohn also serves on the Board of Directors for the performance rights organization, SESAC. He received his Bachelor of Science in Management BSM from Tulane University, and his Master of Business Administration from Columbia University.
Marc Crossman
Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer
Marc Crossman is responsible for the execution against PLBY Group’s strategic initiatives to drive profitable growth and create shareholder value, overseeing the finance, accounting, and operations departments. Crossman brings a wealth of expertise in the consumer products and technology sectors, previously serving as a Partner at Rizvi Traverse Management, Chief Executive Officer at RealD Me (now known as Rain Technology), and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Joe’s Jeans Inc. Crossman began his career in investment banking and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University.
Chris Riley
General Counsel & Secretary

Chris Riley is responsible for managing all of PLBY Group’s global legal, compliance and government affairs, including corporate governance, securities, transactions, intellectual property, litigation, and HR matters. Previously, Riley served as General Counsel of Machinima, Inc., General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Ticketmaster, and General Counsel and Vice President of Match.com. He started his legal career at Sidley Austin, and later joined the corporate group at Gibson Dunn.

Board of Directors

Suhail Rizvi
Chairman of the Board

Suhail Rizvi is co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Rizvi Traverse Management, LLC (“Rizvi Traverse”), a private investment firm founded in 2004. Rizvi Traverse has invested over $3 billion in the last 15 years in a portfolio of private companies in the media & entertainment and technology sectors. The portfolio has included investments in International Creative Management (ICM), Summit Entertainment, Playboy, Facebook, Twitter, Square, SESAC, Flipboard, Snapchat, Vessel, SpaceX, Instacart, Planet Labs and RealD. Rizvi has served on the Board of Directors of Playboy since March 2011. Rizvi served on the Executive Board of The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania from October 2006 to October 2019 and the Board of Directors of RealD, Inc. from March 2016 to October 2020. Rizvi earned his undergraduate degree at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ben Kohn
Chief Executive Officer, President & Director
Kohn joined Playboy as Chief Executive Officer in January 2018, after having served as interim CEO of Playboy from May 2016 to December 2017. Kohn has served on Playboy’s Board of Directors since March 2011. From 2004 to December 2018, Kohn served as a Managing Partner at the private equity firm Rizvi Traverse where he led the successful buyouts of major media and entertainment companies, including taking Playboy private in 2011. Prior to his time at Rizvi Traverse, Kohn was a Vice President at Angelo, Gordon & Co., where he focused on private equity and special situations. Kohn started his career at Cowen & Company in the Mergers and Acquisitions group. Kohn also serves on the Board of Directors for the performance rights organization, SESAC. He received his Bachelor of Science in Management BSM from Tulane University, and his Master of Business Administration from Columbia University.
Tracey Edmonds
Director

Tracey Edmonds has served as Chief Executive Officer & President of Edmonds Entertainment since July 1996, during which time she has produced groundbreaking and award-winning projects for television, film, music, and digital media. In 2019, Edmonds also founded the lifestyle, health and wellness media brand, AlrightNow.com, for which she currently serves as Editor. From 2014 to 2017, Edmonds served as the Co-Host of ExtraTV for which she received an Emmy Award, Gracie Award, and Genie Award. Edmonds has also served as the Co-Chair for the Producers Guild of America’s annual Produced By Conference for the past six years. Previously, she served on the Board of Governors for the Producers Guild of America, the Board of Trustees for the American Film Institute, and the Board of Trustees for The Recording Industry Association of America®. Edmonds is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is a graduate of Stanford University and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Business from Southern University.

James Yaffe
Director

James Yaffe is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of TA:DA Holdings, LLC (“TA:DA”), an operational holding company that buys and invests in vocational education and coaching businesses. TA:DA’s current active growth equity investments include Freeletics and Karat. Prior to founding TA:DA, Yaffe was a co-founder and served as Chief Strategy Officer between November 2011 and January 2019 at J2 Global, Inc. (“J2 Global”), a leading Internet information and services company consisting of a portfolio of brands including IGN, Mashable, Humble Bundle, Speedtest, PCMag, RetailMeNot, Everyday Health and What to Expect. Yaffe currently serves as Senior Advisor to J2 Global’s Chief Financial Officer. In January 2011, Yaffe co-founded FUEL:M+C (Media+Commerce), which provides growth equity to later stage companies in digital media, commerce and data verticals, including investments in Maker Studios (sold to The Walt Disney Company), Bureau of Trade (sold to eBay Inc.), Vox, Simply Gum, and Morgenstern’s Ice Cream. From 2008 to January 2011, Yaffe served as a Managing Partner of Windsor Media, an investment firm focused on early stage technology-enabled media companies including Vice, Square, and Scopely. Yaffe is currently on the board of directors of Backstage, LLC, Welltok, Inc. and is active on the Advisory Board of The Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Yaffe holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics, marketing and communications from the University of Michigan.

Julie Hill
Director
Julie Hill chairs PLBY Group's Audit Committee. She is a certified public accountant in Texas and the owner of JFH Consulting which provides financial and strategic advisory services to a wide range of clients. Hill most recently served as Senior Vice President – Liquidity & Asset Management for iHeartMedia, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), the number one audio company in the U.S. During her tenure at iHeartMedia, she held a variety of leadership positions within the Finance department. Julie started her career as an auditor with Ernst & Young. She currently serves on the Board of Directors and as Audit Chair of National CineMedia, Inc., the largest cinema advertising network in the United States. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Trinity University and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.