'When women thrive, the world thrives': Chanel Global CEO Leena Nair's philosophy

Being at the helm of one of the most powerful luxury brands in the world, Chanel Global CEO Leena Nair has the power to drive the growth of both the creative as well as the business side of luxury. Since taking over this coveted position three years ago, Nair has given the brand the multi-dimensional direction to reaffirm its position as the leader in the luxury segment. The global CEO features on Fortune India's Most Powerful Women(MPW) list for 2025.

Under Nair’s leadership, Chanel has continued to strengthen its decisive brand leadership, enhance client experience, lead cultural conversations and further drive its sustainability commitments for positive impact in the world. Some of her career highlights at the couture house include setting net zero targets for 2040 as one of the first in the luxury sector, increasing funding to Foundation Chanel, its corporate foundation dedicated to gender equality, which now impacts over nine million women and girls worldwide, and continuing to focus on innovation through its Open Innovation function.

According to Nair, her mission is to ensure that the House continues to use its voice and influence to promote human creation, have a positive impact in the world and be a beacon of inspiration for the next 100 years. “While we have come a long way in the world, there is still a very long way to go. True equality needs to be reflected across all aspects of life: education, safety standards, employment, business, leadership, government, and societal norms,” she says. “From my experience, creating meaningful change takes single-minded focus and three ingredients: shifting mindsets to support women to express their ambition, encouraging men and women to lead together to advocate for gender parity and improving systems, policies and cultural norms. My hope for the future is that we will be able to break down barriers and design a world where gender is no longer a consideration for recruitment, promotions, career trajectories or leadership roles,” Nair says.

According to Nair, one of the brand’s fundamental beliefs is that when women thrive, the world thrives. “We are deeply inspired by our founder, Gabrielle Chanel, who created a new freedom of movement for women and embraced the avant-garde. She supported women to be whoever they wanted to become, at a time when women didn’t even have the right to vote. Fast forward to today, we have nearly 60 per cent of our senior management roles held by women at Chanel,” she adds.

Nair says that at the time of volatility and uncertainty, it’s so important to lead with optimism to radiate energy to your team and others around you. “And it’s all about collective intelligence – working together with your teams to listen to other views and make decisions collectively,” she says. “In times of uncertainty, what’s key is to focus on what you can control and to create coherence even when the outside world might be rapidly changing.”

With regard to technology/AI becoming a huge disruptor, changing the way the business is being done, Nair says innovation is the lifeblood of Chanel. “Gabrielle Chanel famously said she 'wanted to be part of what’s next'. AI is inevitable. We are experimenting as you would expect from a company like Chanel to be,” she says.

“We are focused on three areas: being ready with the data, experimenting and scaling the best ideas. We spend lots of time talking to the big tech players about the development of responsible AI and the opportunities for innovation.”

According to Nair, all of their experimentation is within the context of their ‘absolute commitment and dedication to human creation, human craftsmanship and human relationships’. “When the world is talking about going fast, and deployment -- we continue to be guided by our philosophy of the freedom of human creation. My role is to ensure we are at the forefront of change and shaping what’s coming next, while protecting what makes us different,” she says.

Around the world, Leena Nair has millions of admirers, especially among youth. Her advice to them is simple: “Enjoy the journey! Dream big and reach for the stars. Don’t wait for the perfect job – fall in love with the one that you already have. And always put your hand up for opportunities and challenge yourself. As you grow in your career, be a role model for others -- and continue to support others as they follow in your footsteps to 'lift as you climb'."