Chanel CEO Leena Nair Reflects on Journey from Kolhapur to World Stage
NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Long before she became the global CEO of the iconic fashion house Chanel, Leena Nair was a young girl in Kolhapur, India, with dreams as bold as her spirit. In a recent interview with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky for his series The Path, Nair recounted a defining childhood moment when, at the age of eight or nine, she stood in front of her class and declared she wanted to become the Prime Minister of India.
“There was this event where each of us had to stand up in this girls’ school I was going to and say what we wanted to become when we grew up,” Leena told Roslansky on The Path. “And people were saying all sorts of things – teacher, homemaker. And then I stood up and I said, ‘I would like to be the Prime Minister of India’, to lots of nervous laughter in the room.”
“I was determined,” Leena recalled. “I knew I wanted to have a voice in the world. I didn’t know how.”
That belief in possibility has defined Nair’s journey. From an engineering degree to becoming Unilever’s first female and youngest-ever Chief Human Resources Officer, and now leading one of the world’s most prestigious luxury brands, she has consistently embraced challenge and change.
In her conversation with Roslansky, Nair shared how volunteering for the most difficult tasks shaped her career. “I always put up my hand for the toughest jobs,” she said, recalling her time at Unilever. “Those moments of discomfort became my biggest growth drivers.”
One such initiative was “Career by Choice,” a program she launched to support women returning to the workforce after career breaks. It was a reflection of her broader commitment to creating inclusive and compassionate workplaces.
Compassion, Nair emphasized, is not a soft skill—it’s a leadership superpower. “I believe in kindness, in listening deeply, and making sure every voice in the room is heard,” she said. “The best decisions come when diverse perspectives are valued and included.”
Since taking the helm at Chanel in 2022, Nair has continued to champion a leadership style rooted in empathy and empowerment. “People perform their best when they feel seen and respected,” she told Roslansky. “Compassion doesn’t make you weak—it makes you wise.”
As she looks to the future, Nair remains grounded in the values that shaped her journey from Kolhapur to the global stage: courage, curiosity, and conviction.
“I never imagined I’d lead a fashion house,” she said with a smile. “But I knew I wanted to lead with heart—and that’s what brought me here.”
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