Unilever Executive Leena Nair Named Global CEO Of Chanel! More Power To You

Unilever Executive Leena Nair Named Global CEO Of Chanel! More Power To You

Known for nurturing some brilliant minds, India is slowly but surely finding a way to the top. With Indian leaders like Satya Nadella and the most recent Parag Agrawal, heading global giants like Microsoft and Twitter, the list of these glorious names is growing with a new member joining in. Appointed as the Global Chief Executive Officer at the luxury fashion house Chanel, Leena Nair is making headlines. The first female and youngest-ever Chief Human Resources Officer of Anglo-Dutch FMCG major Unilever, Leena Nair will soon commence work at the French fashion house, based in London.

 

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A post shared by Leena Nair (@leenanairhr)


An alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur, Leena Nair joined Unilever as a management trainee in the year 1992, as she escalated to being Unilever’s senior vice president, HR in 2013 and the company’s global head of diversity. Her 30-year-long collaboration with the global giant has been a witness to her growth not just in titles but personal too. Recognised as a trailblazing leader amongst the hundreds of top heads that Hindustan Unilever Ltd. has churned out over the years, she was also the first woman on Hindustan Unilever’s management committee. Leading a journey from Kolhapur, Maharashtra to London, she has been an active voice on the digital front as well, moderating educational sessions like ‘Learn With Leena’ that aim to address the challenges faced by women in their careers, the importance of keeping up with your mental health, community building and empowering fellow-female leaders.

 

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A post shared by Leena Nair (@leenanairhr)

ALSO READ: Chanel To Begin Producing Face Masks To Combat The Shortfall In France As The Coronavirus Situation Gets Worse

As the 52-year-old bids her previous position adieu, CEO Alan Jope at Unilever applauded her for an excellent work journey and shared in a statement, “Leena Nair, CHRO, has decided to leave the company in January 2022 to pursue a new career opportunity as Global Chief Executive Officer, Chanel Ltd. I would like to thank Leena for her outstanding contribution over the last three decades. Leena has been a pioneer throughout her career at Unilever, but no more so than in her role as CHRO, where she has been a driving force on our equity, diversity and inclusion agenda, on the transformation of our leadership development, and on our preparedness for the future of work.”

Sharing the same through her social media handles, Leena Nair mentioned, “I am humbled and honoured to be appointed the Global Chief Executive Officer of Chanel, an iconic and admired company.”

 

While it’s quite rare and relieving to watch female leaders acquire the biggest global positions, Leena Nair’s achievement has added another feather to the developing group of influential female leaders like Indira Nooyi, former chairperson and chief executive at PepsiCo and Sonia Syngal, CEO at Gap. And we hope the numbers to only multiply.

 

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A post shared by Indra K. Nooyi (@indranooyi)


Headed by Alain Wertheimer, who co-owns Chanel with his brother Gerard, the former will step down from his position as the CEO of the brand and move forward to serve as the global executive chairman, from January 2022.

Women Leaders Are More Empathetic, Open To Newer Ideas And Don’t Care For Gender Norms. The Future Is Female

Jasveen Kaur Sawhney

Jasveen Kaur is a fashion writer, and pyjama hoarder, who loves watching interviews of all kinds, and checking her Pinterest mood board every hour!

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