NRI Leena Nair, Global CEO of French luxury fashion house of Chanel, Honoured with CBE by Prince William

Los Angeles/ Jun 15, 2025
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh

NRI Leena Nair, Global CEO of French luxury fashion house Chanel, has been awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Prince William. The recognition, part of the 2025 King’s New Year’s Honours list, was conferred at a formal ceremony held at Windsor Castle in acknowledgment of her remarkable contributions to the retail and consumer sectors.

Nair, originally from Kolhapur in Maharashtra, became the first NRI to lead Chanel in January 2022. At the ceremony, she wore a violet Chanel haute couture tweed coat dress, paired with sandals by Maison Massaro and a felt hat by Maison Michel—both part of Chanel’s portfolio.

In a heartfelt message shared on LinkedIn, Nair expressed gratitude to her team at Chanel, her family, and mentors from her professional journey, especially her time at Unilever and Chanel. “This inspires me to continue to lead Chanel with audacity and integrity and to strive to have a positive impact in the world,” she wrote.

Under her leadership, Chanel saw a 16% rise in revenue in 2023, reaching USD 20 billion, even as other luxury brands faced headwinds. Her tenure has also seen increased philanthropic initiatives through Fondation CHANEL, impacting over 9 million women and girls globally.

A graduate of XLRI Jamshedpur and formerly the youngest Chief Human Resources Officer at Unilever, Nair was also recently featured in Fortune India’s 2025 Most Powerful Women list.

The CBE places Leena Nair among a distinguished group recognised for their exceptional service and global leadership.

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