When we think of luxury goods and fashion, it is almost impossible to not think of Chanel, a French luxury fashion house founded by Gabrielle Chanel, popularly known as Coco Chanel, in 1909. With 112 years of legacy, Chanel is one of the most popular brand in modern times. It is a matter of pride for us that Leena Nair, an Indian origin woman, was recently appointed as the Global CEO of the brand.

This achievement is being considered monumental for a variety of reasons. Chanel has been a close-knit family business for decades. Leena is one of the rare outsiders who have found a place in top leadership of the brand. She is also the first Indian to be appointed as a global head in the company.

While we’re celebrating this announcement as an achievement for her, it is also important to acknowledge that Leena Nair is an exemplary leader and it is a win for Chanel to have a strong and dynamic woman like her associated with their brand.

Leena Nair was born in Kolhapur and completed her MBA from XLRI-Xavier Institute of Management, Jamshedpur. Over the course of her career, she has broken multiple glass ceilings and made a place for herself in the corporate world. She started her career as a Management Trainee at Unilever and was one of the rare women employees who chose to work in a factory. She gradually rose through the ranks to become the first female, first Asian and youngest-ever Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and a member of Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE).

Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever, called her a pioneer throughout her career at Unilever and stated that she has been a driving force on their equity, diversity and inclusion agenda, on transformation of their leadership development and on preparedness for the future of work. During her tenure as CHRO of Unilever, Leena Nair has worked towards focusing on physical, mental and emotional well-being of employees.

Now that she has joined Chanel, we wish nothing but the best for her career as well as the future of the brand.

Leena Nair, with her exceptional leadership style and monumental actions, decisions and achievements, has become an inspiration for many.