I feel the responsibility to make things better for those who come after me: Leena Nair

Nair has fought stereotypes before becoming Chanel's global CEO, making her the only woman of colour leading a major global luxury brand

By Naini Thaker Forbes India Staff

5 min read

Published: Apr 16, 2025 03:00:15 PM IST

Full Bio

Leena Nair, Global CEO, Chanel Imaging : Kapil Kashyap

In 1992, Leena Nair, an engineer from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, began her career as a management trainee at Hindustan Unilever. Over the years, she steadily climbed the corporate ranks, breaking barriers along the way to become Unilever’s first female, first Asian, and youngest-ever chief human resources officer (CHRO), responsible for 150,000 employees.

Her journey didn’t stop there—she later took on the role of global CEO at Chanel in January 2022—making her the only woman of colour leading a major global luxury brand—a significant milestone in the fashion industry.

At every stage, Nair has navigated the challenges of being a ‘first’ and an ‘outsider’, turning them into opportunities for growth and leadership. Growing up, Nair frequently battled gender stereotypes. “When I was nine, our schoolteacher asked us what we wanted to become when we grew up—the other girls said they wanted to be teachers, homemakers, housewives, but I said, ‘I want to be the prime minister of India’. Some other girls were sniggering as it seemed an impossible idea to them, but as a young girl, I was determined, probably the most determined girl the town had seen,” she tells Forbes India.

Her appointment as Chanel’s global CEO was a pivotal moment in the fashion industry. After three decades at Unilever, quitting was a difficult decision, but she found the opportunity to lead Chanel ‘irresistible’. “The opportunity to lead Chanel was compelling,” she says. “It’s a brand that talks to women, with an incredible founder who was the most radical innovator of her time. It was also the values of Chanel, as a company, that appealed to me—an independent business that thinks long-term and has creation and people at its heart.”

Coming from an industry driven by mass production, Nair was struck by the level of craftsmanship and detail involved in creating a single Chanel bag or garment—luxury is all about preciousness, rarity and building true desirability. This deepened her appreciation for artisans and fuelled her belief that, “In our current world, AI is inevitable and, of course, we are experimenting as you would expect from a company like Chanel. However, all our experimentation is within the context of our absolute commitment and dedication to human creation, and human craftsmanship, and human relationships.”

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“Leena represents the kind of change that many of us working in the fashion industry have been seeking. In an industry that largely serves female customers, her appointment breaks the mould of the formulaic approach that most luxury companies have taken when it comes to choosing executives to lead their businesses,” Imran Amed, founder and editor-in-chief, The Business of Fashion, tells Forbes India.

Soon after assuming her role, Nair embarked on an extensive listening tour, visiting 25 regional offices, 40 manufacturing sites and heritage locations, 100 points of sale, and every creation studio. “After I joined Chanel, I travelled to many different markets, points of sales and boutiques to meet, listen and hear from the teams. ‘Help me understand’ were some of my most-used words during those first few months,” she says.

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“When I heard that Leena is going to be the global CEO for Chanel, I thought it was the smartest thing a brand could have done. Instead of going for an ex-CEO of another fashion brand, they went with an outsider, bringing in a completely new and fresh perspective,” says Nonita Kalra, editor-in-chief, Tata CLiQ. “I sat next to her on a flight (which she will not remember)... she has incredible personal style. What makes her so interesting is how curious she is about people—I truly think she is what the brand needs right now, to deal with the kind of global challenges we are all witnessing.”

Under Nair’s leadership, Chanel has continued to thrive as the second-largest luxury brand by revenue, reaching $19.7 billion in 2023, a 16 percent increase from the previous year. Her people-first philosophy is at the core of her approach: “I have been the first in every role I’ve done—the first woman, the first Indian, the first person of colour. I realised early on that I had a privilege and an enormous responsibility to be an agent of change for others. ‘Lift as you climb’ has long been my motto, meaning to support others to make it easier for them to follow in my footsteps.”

Beyond financial growth, Nair has championed sustainability and renewable energy efforts. She significantly increased the funding to Fondation Chanel to over $100 million annually, which positively impacts millions of women and girls around the world. “She has brought a lovely consistency. It feels like the storytelling and legacy are unbroken… and for major houses like Chanel, that’s most important. That’s what people buy into,” Kalra notes.

Reflecting on her journey, Nair shares a piece of advice she would give her younger self: “Don’t shy away from thinking about what’s next. Be intentional about the skills you need to learn for what you want next and set your path. Be ready so that when the right opportunity comes, you are prepared to jump in.”

(This story appears in the 18 April, 2025 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)