Leena Nair, 52, is poised to occupy one of the fashion industry's most coveted seats.
Chanel announced on December 14 her appointment as general manager as of January 2022. Alain Wertheimer, co-owner of the house on rue Cambon with his brother and general manager since 2016, will become its executive chairman again.
Briton of Indian origin, Leena Nair spent 30 years at the supermarket giant Unilever.
Arriving as a management trainee in 1992, she rose through the ranks one by one, first in India then at the London headquarters, which she joined in 2016 as director of human resources and member of the executive committee.
First woman, first Asian and youngest HRD in the history of Unilever, Leena Nair then supervised 150,000 employees worldwide.
She is also a non-executive member of British Telecom, the board of directors of LeverhulmeTrust - a university research funding fund - and, from 2018 to 2020, non-executive director in the Department of Business, Energy and UK government industrial strategy.
In video, the Chanel Métiers d'art 2021-2022 show
Equality and progressivism
“This new partnership at the head of the company aims to ensure the long-term success of the company, anchored around its values of freedom of creation, development of human potential and its willingness to act to have a positive impact in the world ”, underlines Chanel in a press release, adding that their new CEO,“ visionary leader, is respected and recognized for his capacity to combine a long-term vision of the company and its values with a great efficiency of results ”.
Over the course of her career, Leena Nair has carved out a reputation for herself as a solid, efficient and committed leader.
She notably led Unilever to fairness within its management, across the world and defended decent wages on all production chains, according to the
British
Harper's Bazaar
.
"I have increased the attention and responsibility of leadership and brought many innovations to strengthen our inclusive culture, among which (...) support for motherhood and fatherhood", we also read on Leena's Linkedin account Nair.
Chanel Spring-Summer 2022 Ready-to-Wear Paris show
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85 photos
Double-digit growth
The new CEO will take office in full economic recovery: since the start of 2021, Chanel has experienced double-digit growth compared to 2019, after a turbulent 2020 - with a turnover of 10 billion dollars, in decline of 18%.
However, the house on rue Cambon has invested more than a billion dollars in 2020 - in its shops, digital, ecological commitments ... -, a record amount.
And a bet that pays off that Leena Nair will have to pursue from 2022.
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