From Kolhapur to Chanel’s new CEO: Desi Twitter raises a toast to Leena Nair’s incredible journey

Nair has worked with Unilever for over 30 years and was heading its human resources department before being made the luxury fashion brand’s Global Chief Executive Officer.

Nair's appointment as the CEO of Chanel comes at a time when many people of Indian origin are getting top positions in some of the biggest corporations and companies. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Yoliveros)

As Leena Nair, a 52-year-old British citizen of Indian origin, announced that she will be the new global CEO of French luxury fashion house, Chanel, celebrations broke out on social media, especially among Indians. Nair will be succeeding businesswoman Maureen Chiquet who held the same post for nine years from 2007 to 2016.

I am humbled and honoured to be appointed the Global Chief Executive Officer of @CHANEL, an iconic and admired company.

— Leena Nair (@LeenaNairHR) December 14, 2021

Nair, who started her career as a factory floor trainee, has previously held the record of being the first woman and youngest chief human resources officer at multinational firm Unilever.

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Her appointment as the CEO of Chanel comes at a time when many people of Indian origin are getting top positions in some of the biggest corporations and companies.

#Amul Topical: The new global CEO of French luxury fashion house! pic.twitter.com/avLtN1zeXw

— Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) December 15, 2021

Now that Leena Nair is the CEO of Chanel, can brown people get a discount on its products?

— Arch🦋📜💐🍟 (@BhaktaArchana) December 15, 2021

Leena Nair. Satyan Nadella. Sundar Pichai. Harnaaz Chandu.

Malayalis really on a high recently. https://t.co/RqVTFknJSA

— T. H. Houghton (@sidin) December 14, 2021

Leena Nair, Chanel CEO! What a story! From Kolhapur, not the usual IIT/Ivy League track, worked in India until 2013, starting out on the factory floor dealing with unions in the industrial belt Taloja! And my fave quote below https://t.co/qNE3tDZa6A pic.twitter.com/kF6qVe3wxB

— Lakshmi Chaudhry (@ElChaudhry) December 15, 2021

Everyone is congratulating @LeenaNairHR, for becoming the CEO of @CHANEL
Initially, I only saw stories like, “Congratulations Leena Nair for becoming the CEO of Channel”
And all I could wonder was, konse channel ka?
Ye bhi to btao!

— #NG (Nitin) (@NG_exhales) December 15, 2021

Hip Hip Hurray @LeenaNairHR my batch senior @XLRIJamshedpur . Everyone then already knew you will do all of us proud, yet the trail you’ve been blazing is pouring joy, joy, joy along side the pride we already expected. More to Go, big Lady Leena! May the force be with you!

— Sushil Kedia (@sushilkedia) December 15, 2021

Fashion house Chanel hires Unilever consumer goods veteran as CEO | Huge recognition of a woman who has led HUL’s talent management – Proud of you ⁦@LeenaNairHR⁩ – way to go! 👏👏 https://t.co/L2oFC0LQIl

— Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (@kiranshaw) December 15, 2021

Unlike most fashion house CEOs, Nair does not come from a fashion background. In fact she studied electronics and telecommunications engineering at Walchand College in Sangli, Maharashtra and then pursued MBA in Human Resources from XLRI, Jamshedpur, in 1992. Brought up in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, she joins the ranks of Indian-origin executives like Sundar Pichai, Parag Agrawal and Satya Nadella who are at the helm of top global companies.