Leena Nair, In 2021, made headlines around the world when she was appointed the Global CEO of French ultra-luxury lifestyle brand Chanel, the first woman of colour in the post.
Nair’s life is legendary, from leading a global fashion brand with no prior experience to going where few women dared at the time in HUL and surviving the 26/11 terror attack at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai.
Leena, daughter of K. Karthikeyan was born in a joint family on June 11, 1969 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra attended Holy Cross Convent High School, and The New College, both in Kolhapur. An MBA from Xavier School of Management as the gold medalist (1990-1992).
She is fluent in 5 languages – Hindi, English, Malayalam, Marathi and Spanish. In her spare time, Leena enjoys reading, running, and dancing to Bollowood music. Leena is married to Kumar Nair, who owns a financial services firm, and they have two sons, Aryan Nair and Sidhanth Nair.
Leena started her career in 1992 with Unilever as a management trainee. In around 2007 she took the charge of executive director HR of HUL; becoming the first and the youngest woman in the Management Committee of Hindustan Unilever to head HR.
On 14 December 2021, Leena was appointed as the new CEO of French fashion giant Chanel based in London. Chanel was founded by the inspiring namesake of the brand, Coco Chanel in 1909. In her new role, Nair has been focused on transforming Chanel into a more sustainable and inclusive brand.
On being announced the new global chief executive of the fashion brand Chanel, Leena said “I am humbled and honored to be appointed the Global Chief Executive Officer of @CHANEL, an iconic and admired company. 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.”
We must must not forget to address her achievements, awards and recognition –
1- Queen Elizabeth II recognized her as one of the accomplished Indian Business Leaders in the United Kingdom in 2017.
2- She was listed on the top 10 FT HERoes Champions of Women in Business by Financial Times between 2017 to 2019.
3- In 2019, she was on the Thinkers50 List – Thinkers Who Will Shape the Future of Business.
4- LinkedIn Top Voice during 2018 to 2020.
5- She received the Global Indian of the Year in 2020 conducted by The Economic Times’.
6- Nair was the Role Model of Year, The Great British BusinessWomen’s Awards (2021).
Finally, Leena Nair‘s rise to the top of the fashion industry serves as an inspiration to women and people of colour all over the world. Her success demonstrates the value of hard work, dedication, and a willingness to take risks and pursue new opportunities.
As she continues to lead Chanel into the future, there is no doubt that her leadership will continue to drive growth and success for one of the world’s most iconic fashion brands.
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