The haute-couture house, Chanel has announced on Wednesday, December 15, that Leena Nair, the former Unilever Human-Resources Chief, would take up the role of CEO in January. She will be replacing Alain Wertheimer, Chanel’s Co-Owner. Nair is set to become the company’s first Woman Chief and one of the few women of colour in the industry’s exclusive leadership ranks.
Nair, who is of British Indian descent, will join the industry rocked by the pandemic as stores have shut down and consumers have flocked to e-commerce. And unlike its competitors — Versace, Prada, and Gucci — Chanel hasn’t shifted online, making Nair’s job more arduous.
However, Nair brings a bold vision with her. Recent interviews have shown that Nair wasn’t afraid to speak about the need for global leaders to make companies more inclusive. “I believe every voice matters,” she said in a 2019 interview with the cloud company KRISIN. “Inclusion is at the heart of everything I do.”
