Leena Nair didn’t grow up flipping through Vogue.
She grew up in Kolhapur, Maharashtra—where girls were expected to get married, not get MBAs.
But she didn’t follow the script.
She became the first woman in her family to pursue higher education, studying engineering before earning an MBA from XLRI, where she graduated as a gold medalist.
Her first job wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t even in an office.
It was on the factory floor at Hindustan Unilever.
While others chased corporate prestige, Leena took on the “unsexy” jobs—managing shift workers, running remote plants, learning the grit and grind of operations. She built her leadership not in boardrooms, but in boiler rooms.
It made her resilient. It made her empathetic. And it made her ready.
Over nearly 30 years, she climbed Unilever’s ranks—eventually becoming the company’s youngest-ever, first female, and first Asian Chief Human Resources Officer. She oversaw 150,000 employees across 190 countries. Her leadership left a legacy:
- Raised female management representation from 38% to 50%
- Committed to a living wage across the global supply chain
- Simplified HR systems to center humans, not bureaucracy
And then—an unexpected call.
Chanel, the legendary French fashion house, was looking for a new CEO. Traditionally, this role went to someone inside the luxury circle—someone with decades in fashion or beauty.
Leena had zero experience in either.
But Alain Wertheimer, Chanel’s owner, didn’t want more of the same. He wanted a leader who understood people, purpose, and scale.
So he chose Leena.
In 2022, she became the first Indian and the first woman of color to run Chanel.
Her first move? She listened.
She visited 25 offices, 40 factories, and 100 retail locations. She sat with seamstresses, store managers, and sales associates. Her philosophy: “Seek to understand before you seek to change.”
But she did change things.
- Launched No.1 de Chanel, a sustainable beauty line
- Opened exclusive, appointment-only boutiques
- Elevated women to 60% of leadership roles
- Scaled Foundation Chanel’s annual funding from $20M to $100M, supporting gender equity and the arts
Leena believes the future of leadership is collective. It’s built on empathy. On listening deeply. On daring to reimagine.
Yet, even she once doubted herself.
She confided in mentor Indra Nooyi that she didn’t have the right experience, connections, or background to be a CEO.
Indra stopped her with a single question: “Do you even know what you bring?”
Today, Leena uses her platform to help other women dream bigger. She talks candidly about the panels that asked her about childcare while her male peers got questions about geopolitics. About being “the first” in every room. About the loneliness of trailblazing—and the responsibility to make it easier for others to follow.
Because success isn’t about fitting into a mold.
It’s about breaking it—and making space for others.
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