Yesterday, the iconic 111-year old French luxury fashion house Chanel announced that it would be appointing Indian-born British national Leena Nair, a fashion outsider, as its new global CEO. Nair worked at Unilever for three decades and was the group’s Chief Human Resources Officer. She will be joining Chanel in January 2022 and will be based in London.
Nair, an alumnus of Xavier School of Management in Jamshedpur, had joined Hindustan Unilever, Unilever's Indian subsidiary, in 1992 as a management trainee and today, is the company’s first female, first Asian, and youngest ever CHRO.
In 2021, Nair was named role model of the year at The Great British Businesswoman's Awards and she also made it to the list of Fortune’s most influential Indian women. In 2017, she was recognised by Queen Elizabeth as one of the most successful Indian business leaders in the UK.
Chanel, known for its iconic tweed suits, quilted handbags, and No. 5 fragrance announced that the new appointment would ensure "long-term success as a private company." They described Nair as a "highly respected and visionary leader, who is skilled at working with long-term plans, and has delivered many strong, positive business results in the past."
Soon after its announcement, Nair tweeted, "I am so inspired by what Chanel stands for. It is a company that believes in the freedom of creation, in cultivating human potential and in acting to have a positive impact in the world."