It seems that the Indian brains are being more treasured with time, by the west. This time, it’s the French luxury Maison Chanel, who went on to appoint an Indian in the top post of Global CEO. London-based and former Unilever Executive Leena Nair has recently hit the headlines with this amazing achievement.
The Position
Leena Nair, 52, has been the first female, Asian, and youngest ever CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer) and Member of the Unilever Leadership Executive of the esteemed Unilever company. After serving the British consumer goods company for 30 years, Nair is now set to be the new Global Chief Executive Officer of Chanel. As per a statement announced officially, the company is looking forward to bringing in her valued outsider’s perspective to the iconic fashion house. We too are curious to see how things will turn out to be.
The Lady
An XLRI- Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur alumni, Leena Nair started her journey at Unilever back in 1992 as a management trainee. She is been inducted into the coveted list of Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women 2021. Throughout her career, Nair has been highly lauded by her peers for her people-focused leadership approach, changing the overall practice and culture in large global companies. Looking at her credentials and past works, it seems like Chanel has made the right decision of bringing in talent like this.
The House
The iconic French luxury fashion house Chanel is famous for its No. 5 fragrance, and collections of tweed suits, and quilted handbags. Nair is about to join the company in coming January as the new Global CEO. The former CEO and co-owner of the company Alain Wertheimer will move to the position of Global Executive Chairman. With all these changes and new appointments, the private company is now eyeing long-term success in the global market of the fashion industry.