- BuzzFeed chief marketing officer Ben Kaufman is stepping down to fully focus on Camp, which is a New York-based toy store for kids.
Ben Kaufman — the CMO of media giant BuzzFeed — is stepping down in order to focus fully on Camp. Camp is a New York-based toy store for kids. And in a memo to the staff, BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti said that Kaufman is working on a transition plan and is going to move into an advisory role starting in January 2020, according to AdWeek.
The staff members at BuzzFeed that were reporting to Kaufman including Nilla Ali (VP of strategic partnerships), Jake Bronstein (Head of Partner Innovation), and Eric Karp (Global Head of Licensing) are going to remain in their existing positions.
Kaufman has been instrumental in BuzzFeed’s efforts to license its products in stores across the countries. Following Kaufman’s hiring in 2016, BuzzFeed started selling Tasty-branded cookware along with printed newspapers and tote bags.
Last year, Kaufman opened the 10,000-square-foot Camp facility near Union Square. BuzzFeed has a minority stake in Camp.
And Kaufman also oversaw a BuzzFeed event last month called “BuzzFeed—Internet Live!” The event included performances from Lil Nas X, the cast of Jersey Shore, and Nickelodeon celebrity JoJo Siwa.
Back in June, it was announced that Camp had raised $10.5 million out of a targeted $11 million.
