Yana Peel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yana Peel
Peel in 2021
Born	Yana Mirkin 1974 (age 50–51) Leningrad, USSR (now Russia)
Nationality	Canadian
Alma mater	McGill University London School of Economics
Occupation	Businesswoman
Title	Global head arts and culture, Chanel
Spouse(s)	Stephen Peel ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	2

Yana Peel (born in 1974) is a Canadian businesswoman and leader in the arts. She was born in Russia. She is known for her work in art, culture, and helping others. Yana Peel is currently the global head of arts and culture at the famous French fashion company, Chanel. Before this, she was the CEO of the Serpentine Galleries from 2016 to 2019.

Yana Peel also helps many important groups. She advises the Tate International Council and the NSPCC Children's Safety Online Taskforce. She has also advised the British Fashion Council and the Victoria and Albert Museum, where she started a special fund for design. She is also on the board of Sadler's Wells, a famous dance venue.

Peel helped start the Outset Contemporary Art Fund and Intelligence Squared Asia. She was also the CEO of Intelligence Squared Group from 2013 to 2016. She is part of the American Ballet Theatre Global Council and The Met International Council. She is also a judge for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2024, which is a big award for architecture.

Early Life and Education

Yana Peel was born in Leningrad (now called St. Petersburg) in 1974. Her family moved to Canada in 1978. She grew up in Toronto, Ontario.

Studying at University

In the 1990s, Yana Peel studied Russian at McGill University. While she was a student in 1996, she helped organize a fashion show to raise money for charity. Later, she studied economics at the London School of Economics. In 2011, she was chosen to be part of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders program. This program helps young leaders make a difference in the world.

Career Highlights

Starting at Goldman Sachs

Yana Peel began her career in 1997 at Goldman Sachs in London. This is a big financial company. She worked in the part of the company that deals with stocks. She became an executive director before she left in 2003.

Helping Art with Outset Contemporary Art Fund

In 2003, Peel helped start a charity called the Outset Contemporary Art Fund in London. This charity helps artists get money to create new art or buy their work. The goal is to then give this art to public museums. The Fund bought over 100 artworks for the Tate Modern. It also helped artists like Francis Alys and Steve McQueen create new pieces.

Leading Debates at Intelligence Squared

In 2009, Yana Peel co-founded Intelligence Squared Asia. This group hosts live debates in Hong Kong. In 2012, Peel became the CEO of Intelligence Squared Group. She helped the company improve its finances. She has also hosted interviews with famous people like Olafur Eliasson and Ai Wei Wei.

Innovating at Serpentine Galleries

In April 2016, Peel became the CEO of the Serpentine Galleries. These are famous art galleries in London. She wanted to make the galleries a "safe space for unsafe ideas." She also wanted to give artists more say in how the galleries worked. She worked closely with the artistic director, Hans Ulrich Obrist.

Bringing Technology to Art

Peel helped the Serpentine Galleries use more technology. She introduced digital tours and turned an exhibition about Zaha Hadid's art into virtual reality. She wanted to make art available to as many people as possible. She also helped the galleries get big companies like Google and Bloomberg as partners.

Expanding the Serpentine Pavilion

Peel and Obrist chose the first African architect and the youngest architect to design the Serpentine Pavilion. This is a special building built each year. In 2018, she announced a new pavilion would be built in Beijing, China. In 2017, they chose Diébédo Francis Kéré from Burkina Faso to design the pavilion. It won an award in 2018. In 2018, they chose Mexican architect Frida Escobedo. She was the youngest architect to design the pavilion since it started in 2000.

Peel left her role as CEO in June 2019. This was due to some public attention. However, it was later made clear that she was not involved in the daily operations or decisions of the company that caused the attention.

Working with Chanel

In March 2020, Yana Peel joined Chanel. She became the global head of arts and culture. She also joined the board of Fondation Chanel. She leads Chanel's projects related to art and culture around the world. She has helped strengthen Chanel's connection with the arts.

New Initiatives at Chanel

Peel launched Chanel Connects and the Chanel Culture Fund. These programs work with cultural places worldwide. They help support new ideas and creativity. Peel is known for making important partnerships in the art world. She wants to make art enjoyable for everyone.

She is in charge of Chanel’s art partner programs. She has started projects with major cultural institutions. These include the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the National Portrait Gallery, London, and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. She also works with important cultural leaders like Maria Balshaw and Tristram Hunt.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

From 2010 to 2015, Yana Peel co-chaired Para Site. This is a non-profit art space in Hong Kong. She had been involved with the project since 2009.

In 2011, Peel started the Victoria and Albert Museum's design fund. This fund helped the museum buy modern design objects.

Peel is also part of the NSPCC's therapeutic board. Inspired by her own children, she wrote a series of art books for toddlers in 2008. These books include Art For Baby, Color For Baby, and Faces For Baby. They feature art from famous artists like Damien Hirst and Keith Haring. Money from these books goes to the NSPCC, which helps children.

Personal Life

In 1999, Yana Peel married Stephen Peel. He is a financier. They have two children and live in Bayswater, London.

Awards and Recognition

• Montblanc Award for Arts Patronage 2011
• Debrett's 500 List: Art
• Evening Standard Progress 1000 2017
• ArtLyst Power 100
• Harper's Bazaar Women Of The Year 2017
• Harper's Bazaar Working Wardrobe: Best dressed women 2018
• Henry Crown Fellow. Appointed by the Aspen Institute in 2018.
• Number Two in Tatler's best dressed list 2023