As the first female , first Asian and youngest-ever CHRO of Unilever , Leena Nair is now translating her passion for people to luxury fashion house Chanel
Leena Nair From Unilever people pioneer to CEO of Chanel
As the first female , first Asian and youngest-ever CHRO of Unilever , Leena Nair is now translating her passion for people to luxury fashion house Chanel
Leena Nair is a woman of many firsts . As well as being the first female , first Asian and youngest ever CHRO at Unilever , she was the first female in nearly all roles she held at the consumer goods giant over three decades – including the first female manager to opt for a factory stint , the first to work a night shift , and the first woman in Unilever ’ s Management Committee in 90 years .
But the Indian-born British national isn ' t done pioneering . After three decades with Unilever , five as CHRO , 53-year-old Leena was tapped , in January 2022 , by Chanel for the French luxury group ’ s top job , a move that secured her two further firsts – the first luxury brand CEO of Indian origin and the first from an HR background .
While considered an outsider in the field of luxury fashion , Leena ’ s appointment as Global CEO of the storied French fashion house was seen as a master stroke by Chanel to drive diversity in an industry that has been criticised for its distinct lack thereof .
“ Nair has built a global reputation for progressive and human-centred leadership , delivering significant business impact ,” Chanel said in its statement announcing her hire .
It ’ s certainly true that Leena took centre stage in the building of Unilever into a purpose-led , future-fit organisation , one that has become the employer of choice in more than 50 countries worldwide .
As Unilever CEO Alan Jope put it upon announcing her departure from Unilever : “ 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 .”
16 March 2023