All About Chanel's New CEO Leena Nair And Her Indian Roots

Leena Nair Wiki Bio: The former Chief Human Resource Officer of Unilever will now head one of the biggest and most iconic luxury brands in the world. Leena Nair will be joining as the Chief Executive Officer of Chanel in 2022.

The 52-year-old was a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive team and was responsible for keeping a check on the company's financial performance. She was the first woman and youngest person to be named the Chief Human Resource Officer of Unilever.

By joining Chanel as the CEO, she has joined the growing tribe of business leaders with Indian roots who are leading global business from the front.

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In a statement, Nair said, "I am humbled and honoured to be appointed the Global Chief Executive Officer of @ChanelOfficial an iconic and admired company." She further added that she was inspired by what Chanel stands for. "It is a company that believes in the freedom of creation, in cultivating human potential and in acting to have a positive impact in the world."

Nair also went on to thank Unilever for many opportunities to learn, grow and contribute to a truly purpose-driven organisation, during her tenure of 30 years. "I will always be a proud advocate of Unilever and its ambition to make sustainable living commonplace," she said concluding her statement.

Career

Leena Nair joined Unilever as a management trainee of the Hindustan Unilever in the year 1992. Over the years, she went from being Factor Personnel Manager of Lipton (India), a part of Unilever, to being appointed as the CHRO of the company in 2016.

Her purpose is "to ignite the human spark for a better business and a better world."

In her early career, she has worked in different factories of the HUL in Kolkata in West Bengal, Taloja in Maharashtra and Ambattur in Tamil Nadu.

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Early Life and Education

Leena Nair was born and brought up in Kolhapur in Maharashtra and did her course in electronic engineering from Walchand College of Engineering in Sangli.

She got a gold medal from the Xavier School of Management, which is one of the top Business schools in India. She then joined her job at the Hindustan Unilever, which later became Unilever, in 1992.

Later in 2013, she moved to the London headquarters of Unilever 2013 as the global senior vice-president for leadership and organisation development.

Family

Nair in her previous interview stated that one needs to think a lot before marrying a man as they need to be supportive of what you do and Nair found it in her husband Kumar, who in the early days of her career used to commute long distances to meet her. The couple is parents to two sons.