Leena Nair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leena Nair
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Nair in 2022
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| Born | June 11, 1969 Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
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| Nationality | British |
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| Title | CEO, Chanel |
Leena Nair (born in 1969) is a British-Indian business leader. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Chanel, a famous fashion company. Before joining Chanel, Leena was in charge of human resources for Unilever, a huge company that sells many everyday products. She believes in creating workplaces where people are treated well and leaders are kind.
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Early Life and Education
Leena Nair was born on June 11, 1969, in Kolhapur, India. She was among the first group of girls to graduate from Holy Cross Convent High School in Kolhapur. Leena was also the first woman in her family to go to college.
She earned a bachelor's degree in electronics and telecommunication engineering. Later, she completed her MBA from XLRI – Xavier School of Management between 1990 and 1992. She was even a "gold medallist," which means she was one of the top students in her class. Before starting her main career, she worked in factories in different cities across India.
Leena Nair's Career Journey
Starting at Unilever
Leena Nair began her career at Hindustan Unilever (HUL) in 1992. She started as a summer intern and then became a management trainee. At that time, she was the first woman to work the night shift on the factory floor at HUL.
Over the years, Leena held many important roles at Unilever. She worked as a factory manager, a human resources (HR) leader, and helped with leadership and organization. She also led efforts to make the company more diverse, fair, and welcoming for everyone.
Leading HR at Unilever
In 2007, Leena became the Executive Director and Vice President of HR for Unilever in South Asia. She was the first woman to join the leadership team there. In this role, she helped improve how productive employees were. She also started a program called "Career by Choice." This program helped women return to work after taking a break from their careers.
After 20 years in India, Leena moved to Unilever's global headquarters in London in 2012. By 2016, she became Unilever's Chief Human Resources Officer. She was the first woman, the first Asian person, and the youngest person ever to hold this position. She also joined Unilever's Executive Committee.
Leena wanted to make Unilever known for its kind and people-focused leadership. She helped increase the number of female managers from 38% to 50%. She also helped Unilever promise to pay all its workers a fair living wage by 2030. Thanks to her efforts, Unilever achieved a 50/50 gender balance in leadership roles around the world.
Becoming CEO of Chanel
In December 2021, Leena Nair was chosen to be the CEO of Chanel, a famous luxury fashion brand. This was a big step because she had no previous experience in the fashion industry. She officially started her role in January 2022.
When she first became CEO, Leena spent time learning about Chanel. She visited many offices, factories, and stores. She also met with important fashion leaders, including Chanel's creative director, Virginie Viard. Her goal was to understand everything before making changes.
Under Leena's leadership, Chanel has focused on three new important areas:
- Sustainability: In 2022, Chanel launched a beauty line called N°1 de Chanel. This line focuses on being good for the environment. Chanel has also promised to have zero carbon emissions by 2040.
- Exclusivity: The brand has opened special, invite-only stores. This helps keep Chanel's luxury status and appeals to very wealthy shoppers.
- Gender Equality: Leena continues her commitment to fairness. Now, 60% of Chanel's management positions are held by women.
During her time as CEO, the Foundation Chanel has also become a major supporter of arts and culture in the UK. Its annual funding has increased significantly.
Leena Nair has had mentors who helped her, including Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo.
Other Important Roles
Besides her work at Chanel, Leena Nair also serves on other boards and councils:
- She is a Non-Executive Board Member for BT plc, a telecommunications company.
- She is a member of the Trust Board for the Leverhulme Trust.
- She has been a Leadership Council Member for the International Centre for Research on Women since 2019.
Recognitions and Awards
Leena Nair has received many awards and recognitions for her leadership:
- In 2023, she was ranked 68th on Fortune magazine's list of Most Powerful Women.
- She was on the Financial Times' list of Top 10 HERoes Champions of Women in Business from 2017 to 2019.
- She was included in the Thinkers50 List of "Thinkers Who Will Shape the Future of Business" in 2019.
- She received the Great British Businesswoman's Role Model of the Year Award in 2021.
- In 2022, she was on Forbes India's W-Power list.
- She was on WWD's 50 Women in Power list in 2023.
- In 2024, she was named one of TIME's Women of the Year.
- She was awarded the CBE (Commanders of the Order of the British Empire) in 2025 for her services to the retail and consumer sector.
Personal Life
Leena Nair is the daughter of K. Karthikeyan. She is married to Kumar Nair, who is an entrepreneur in financial services. They have two sons. Her cousins, Vijay Menon and Sachin Menon, are also business leaders in India.
