leena: you always look different, because you are the first woman, or the first brown person, the first asian, the first indian, the first person of color to lead a global luxury brand. you're always the first, you're always underestimated. people don't know exactly what to expect. francine: leena nair is in charge of one of the most exclusive luxury brands of the world, chanel.

the french fashion house, known for its iconic designs and fragrances, made the avant-garde move to appoint her to the top job. previously a human resources veteran, she spent three decades at unilever before switching from the world of fast-moving consumer goods to haute couture and beauty. the firm's history is legendary, from its founder, gabrielle, or coco, to its fans, including marilyn monroe. for leena nair, it's a chance to make history. leena: i want to change the world but look good while doing it. francine: on this episode of "leaders with lacqua," i speak to leena nair about her professional and personal journey, how it defines her leadership style, and her unique approach at the top of luxury. leena nair, thank you so much for joining us here on bloomberg. leena: delighted to be here. francine: what's it like being a chanel chief executive? leena: it is the best job in the world. it's creative, it's energetic, it's vibrant, the sector is doing well. it's a great place to be in. francine: so what kind of difference do you want to make at chanel?

is it on the business, is it longevity, is it what it stands for, is it sustainability? leena: you know, i want to lead chanel into the future along with my team. and lead chanel into the future by protecting what's core to us, by protecting our differentiation, protecting what's unique about us. and by evolving as a scaled, iconic business and brand. it is always important to understand the context we operate in. the context we have externally is very, very dynamic. geopolitical uncertainties, macroeconomic challenges, inflation, complete fragmentation, media channels, ecosystems. i mean, winning hearts and minds of people is so difficult in today's day and age. so we see all of that externally. ai. i mean, there's not a week you don't hear about ai. so all of this is happening externally. and internally, it has been a phase of rapid growth. in the last 10 years, we have

more than doubled our revenue, we've more than doubled the number of people who work for us, we've more than doubled our distribution presence, we've more than doubled the number of countries we have presence in, so that's a lot of growth. so my role, along with my leadership team, is to ensure that we make coherent exchanges, that we make sense of these changes, and we are constantly shaping what's next. francine: as far as i can remember, chanel is this beautiful, high-end luxury, everybody wanted the products, but it was always quite secretive. and then, there has been an opening in the last couple of years, through culture events, podcasts. why is that? like, is there -- can a high-end luxury company no longer be secretive in 2024? leena: you know, for me, never having been in the world of luxury, of sophistication, of refinement, i didn't know what to expect when i came to chanel two and a half years ago. but it's a very humble company. people are truly humble. and you've met many of my teammates.

and it comes from a sense of we don't say things unless we've really done them. so, high integrity. so we'd rather do things before we speak about them. so some of the shyness has been to do with that. and i think the part of the opening up is, also, as we've grown larger, and i explained some of the internal context -- we've been through rapid growth, being in so many markets, having so many people work for us, it becomes important to be clearer and more open about who we are, what we stand for. it is a 100-year-old company. it's important to say what we do to have been a beacon of inspiration all these years, to continue to be a beacon of inspiration for the next 100 years. francine: is that because we are buying luxury differently, so that clients and customers now want more of the story than they maybe did at 10, 15 years ago? leena: you know, i think there is no typical client, and there is no one reason to engage in luxury. truly, we see all kinds of clients. people who are longtime fans of chanel. people who are dedicated buyers

of couture. people who are first-time buyers. in fact, first-time buyers are 30% of our clients, which is a lot. we see a lot of gen z and alpha. 35% of luxury consumers, by 2030 are going to be gen z and alpha. it's a hard number to believe. but it's the vibrancy, the vitality is huge. because each of those clients has a different set of reasons for why they engage with us. so for gen z and alpha, they buy because they want to buy less and buy better. they want to buy, because they see it as a financially wise investment. but everybody buys for a different reason. for me, it's part of continuing to build our brand, our reputation, our company. and telling our story in engaging ways to all sorts of clients. francine: do you have to speak differently, leena, to the younger generation? leena: no, not really. our story of savoir faire, our story of craftsmanship, our story of how many hours goes into making this jacket, like 100 hours, all hand-made, is

still the core of our story, our craftsmanship, our savoir faire. it is still how people engage with luxury, the quality of it, the beauty of it. a thing of beauty gives us all joy. so that is still a very, very big reason how people look at luxury, the quality, the savoir faire, being part of that. and the story of gabrielle chanel, and the story of her dna, and what she means for us, a spirit of constantly innovating in radical ways. because, when she designed clothes, it was about the freedom of movement. it was about anticipating the needs of the modern woman. it was about creating trousers, cross-body bags, so that women could ride bikes, ride horses. so it was about supporting women to be and become whoever they wanted to be and become. it was about being on this journey of self-discovery with women, and that core part of our story doesn't change. it is the story of being -- supporting women to be and

become the best versions of themselves, to discover themselves, and that story still engages, no matter what age you are. and the core of our stories really doesn't change. how we see it might change, there are more channels than you and i can count today. there's all sorts of things, instagram, tiktok, everything that's coming. some of the media channels might change, some of the ecosystem in how we engage might change, but the core of our story is still very much who we are at chanel. francine: gabrielle chanel was like a pioneer. and i feel like, when you talk about her, it's also maybe telling a little bit about your story. you have a unique story. you grew up in a town in india where not many females were educated to a higher level. leena: yes. francine: so what was that journey like? leena: it was a long journey. it is -- i grew up in a small town in the southwest of india called kolhapur. and the world of luxury, refinement, sophistication was very far away from where i grew

up. it was a small town like any other. most of my memories of me running barefoot in the town, or having my little bike and riding around. women being ambitious was not the norm. in fact, i remember my mother constantly telling me, "who will marry you, you are so ambitious," and "do you really know what you're going to do with your life?" and so, very limited access to role models, to opportunities. i did engineering after sort of convincing everybody in my family that engineering was good for girls, which was great. it was electronics and telecommunications. and i quite enjoyed, again, being in the minority, but learning a lot more about the world of technology, which we all are now part of. then did my management studies, worked all over the country as part of unilever. i had an all-around experience,

a hands-on experience, worked in the shop floor, worked in frontline sales, rode the trucks in the morning, going to the train, selling tea. so it was a fun experience. it was an adventure. it meant being constantly underestimated. it meant that you always look different, because you were the first woman, or the first brown person, the first asian, the first indian, the first person of color to lead a global luxury brand. you're always the first. you're always underestimated. people don't know exactly what to expect. they're suspicious of what your agenda might be. and along with it comes the responsibility of making it easier for those who come after you. so i feel a tremendous privilege, tremendous sense of responsibility to make it easier, which means questioning norms, being a role model, mentoring as many people as i can, trying to make it easier for others. constantly championing a more equal world. francine: you like a challenge. is there ever a challenge that you actually shied away from? [laughter] leena: you know, every single thing i've done, it's almost as if somebody has said, "it can't be done." i remember i was in a factory, and i said, i want to go on the night shift, and they said "no, we don't put women on the night shift."

i said, how will i be a successful production manager or personnel manager of a factory if i never went into a night shift and knew how a third of my people worked? so, in some ways, it has fueled some of my determination. it has fueled some of my -- ok, i am going to show this is possible, a sense of i am going to get on and do it. it also gives me courage, because i feel, sometimes, i'm not just doing it for me. i'm doing it for everyone else who comes after me. so it gives me courage, too. so it fuels my determination, fuels my courage. because i don't shy away from challenges, and i always tell women who ask me for advice, saying, "put your hand up for the most difficult job. put your hand up for the things that are challenging. go in there and lean into things that are difficult and challenging," because that's what gives you the greatest credibility, respect, reputation as you build your career. francine: coming up, chanel's leena nair on the long-term outlook for luxury and the changing role of what it means to be a chief executive. ♪

francine: chanel is behind some of the most recognizable designs and fragrances in modern fashion. the french luxury house is still privately held by the billionaire family wertheimer, involved with the company over the past century. i continue my rare interview with the firm's chief executive, leena nair. do you see that, again, the high-end luxury, does that even go higher in luxury? that actually there's a lot of players in the fashion world right now, in the luxury world, and it's really the ones that are very high that will do well. and does that also justify some of the price increases that we have seen at chanel? leena: you know, our prices are related to our cost prices. we use exquisite raw materials. and our production, as you know, is very rigorous, laborious, handmade. so we raise our prices according to the inflation that we see. so they are really linked to the cost price. we've also made a commitment to price harmonization across the world, which means a client

should not experience excessive price differentials, no matter where they buy. francine: the second-hand market is also something that we are seeing more and more in the last four to five years. what does that mean for a company like chanel? leena: you know, we have famously not been on e-commerce. we always said we want our clients to buy from our beautiful stores, because we believe that clients must enjoy the immersive experience, the immersive physical experience, where they build a relationship with the fashion advisor, the beauty advisor, the boutique assistant, which is so magical and so core to the chanel story. francine: and how do you see the china market right now compared to the u.s. market? because it's not that volatile, actually. you've kind of had a base that has stayed for quite some time. leena: china is a very central market for the luxury goods system because of the fast adoption of luxury. because of the appreciation of refinement and sophistication.

so it's a very important and essential market for us. i came back recently from china, and i was really happy to see the energy and vibrancy in the market. so we continue to run our business for the long-term and continue to invest in china for the long-term. similarly, u.s. i see u.s. as a long-term market for luxury. it always has been. and all markets see a bit of ebbs and flows. but if you keep a long-term perspective, you continue to invest. i mean, we just opened our beautiful watches and fine jewelry store on the 5th avenue. it is absolutely breathtaking. designed by peter marino, with everything that you would expect in a chanel boutique. great personalization, intimacy, beauty, things that uplift you. so we believe in both of these markets, and they are important to us. francine: so it's probably rougher being a chief executive --

francine: so it's probably tougher being a chief executive in 2024 than it was for the last 20 years because of the constant change. and we don't really know what ai brings either. leena: yes, it is. it is definitely more challenging. and one of my principles as a leader is about tapping into collective intelligence. because i truly believe the days of the superhero leader are well and truly behind us. the world is so complex. there are crises on multiple levels. that to imagine one individual, no matter how bright they are, how experienced they are, can have answers to all the questions? no chance. that's why i believe in collective intelligence, diverse perspectives. go around the room, listen to every voice. it's very important to me that i'm not just listening to the dominant voices in my room, in my meeting room, but listening to all voices around the table. francine: is that why you also lead by empathy? i mean, you always say you lead and lift, which is not always easy. leena: i remember, in my early days of my career at unilever, when i was going to a place, in a factory, and if i felt it was not safe for women, i would go back and fight the battle to make sure it was made safer for women who came after me. i was always questioning the

norms, challenging what was happening, so i could make it easier for others who come after me. it's beautiful in chanel. we have 76% women, 60% of my management team are women. so it's easier to set into place everything to support the development and career of all these talented women and create a more equal world. francine: would you ever go into menswear? would chanel ever go into menswear? [laughter] leena: it's a rare time in our history where we have a female founder, a female ceo, female creative director of fashion, so it's a rare time. and i think we support women everywhere in such a beautiful way. you know, we do make things for men. bleu is one of the largest selling perfume for men, and i hope it stays that way. we really are by women, for women, support women, and we are here to empower and support women in the journey of becoming. francine: you're right, the perfume. i forgot the perfumes. talk to me a little bit. there are things that people don't understand about chanel. we talked about the foundation.

because actually, for so long, it was all kept in house. but you also have other brands. how do you see all of these, you know, companies working together? leena: you know, we are the world leader in many categories. there is all the fashion, which is well known. we are in fragrances, in beauty, in skin care. and one of the things, as we -- as with my leadership team, which we started working on what we call our beacon of inspiration for the next 100 years, or we call the 100-year plan, we are constantly thinking ahead. we started putting some building blocks of it, which is having a positive impact in the world. there is sustainability, environmental sustainability, and the whole idea of women's empowerment and girls. so we are one of the largest philanthropic organizations dedicated to women empowerment and girls. francine: it's amazing, because not many people know that. leena: $125 million this year. so $100 million as soon as i came in, and now we have

increased that to $125 million. so we are truly one of the largest organizations in the world. we work with 237 partners in 50 plus countries on beautiful programs that support women to be free to shape their destiny. francine: coming up, leena nair on how chanel is trying to change luxury and how her background in hr is helping to shape her mindset as a chief executive. ♪ to me, harlem is home. but home is also your body. i asked myself, why doesn't pilates exist in harlem? so i started my own studio. getting a brick and mortar in new york is not easy. chase ink has supported us from studio one to studio three. when you start small, you need some big help. and chase ink was that for me. earn up to 5% cash back on business essentials with the chase ink business cash card from chase for business. make more of what's yours.

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francine: leena nair is used to breaking convention and changing norms in the workplace, including her transition from unilever and human resources to becoming the chief executive of one of the most prestigious names in luxury. she tells me how chanel is positioning for the future of fashion and what it means for her legacy at the iconic firm. how difficult is it for a big luxury company to be sustainable? i mean, you have very ambitious goals. leena: i'd like us to set the bar for luxury. i would like other luxury players to be inspired by what chanel does every day. we are one of the few luxury players that has now publicly set a goal of net zero 2040. so we want to really reduce our carbon emissions. so, for example, we are -- in carbon emissions, we are reducing our logistics, transport, and carbon footprint to do it digital. chanel.com saw an increase in

traffic of 30%, with a 16% reduction in carbon footprint. francine: how much of this comes from, i guess, the heart, you know, trying to do good, and how much does this also play with consumers? because in 5, 10 years, there will be even more focus on this. leena: you know, francine, i think clients believe luxury is sustainable, because they know we make fewer things, and we make them beautifully, and we make them with hands. and that is a genuine desire by clients to see us continue as sustainable is only going to go up. i mentioned about more gen z and alpha buying. and they buy, because they want to buy less and buy better, which is the right mindset to engage with luxury. so it is going to be increasingly important. francine: leena, in sustainability, do you need to be a risk taker? like, the idea that, as a chief executive, i guess you need to be careful, but is there anything coming where you will challenge your risk-taking? leena: you know, i think, for all of us, the world today is so

complex and moving fast that you are constantly adjusting, being agile, ticking. for me, we are a courageous brand, because we walk in the footsteps of a courageous woman. gabrielle chanel lived the life she wanted, courageously, passionately, made the choices she wanted courageously, passionately. and one of her values is audacity. so for me, audacity is so important. you call it risk-taking, i call it audacity. francine: i like -- i actually prefer audacity. [laughter] it has a certain cachet that i'm sure gabrielle chanel would have loved. what have you learned about yourself as chief executive? so you were in charge of hr for unilever. it's a massive company, 100,000 employees. is it different actually being in charge of a company than being in charge of hr? leena: when i was moving to chanel, a mentor told me, you are doing a quadruple jump. i said, what do you mean?

so it has changed on so many dimensions. it's public to private. it's fmcg to luxury. it is from anglo dutch to french heritage. i have weekly french classes. it is hr to ceo. so it has been change on all dimensions. it's not just one dimension, it has been all dimensions. and luxury is very different from fmcg. as you know, the preciousness, the rarity is not available every time. it's the balance between timeless, quest for new. it's all of that. it's different. it's -- to me, the principles of business and the principles of leadership are transferable across sectors. how to run a business across multiple countries, multiple product categories, multiple geographies, multiple cultures. how to galvanize and inspire teams across, again, multiple cultures. multiple kinds. there are principles that hold you in good step, because people

are people, at the end of the day. they are -- they have motivations, dreams, aspirations. they want to engage in a particular way. i must say, being in chanel has taught me to be more patient, more long-term. the treadmill of quarterly results, etc., is a different world. so it has taught me to be more patient. it's taught me to appreciate a lot more. and, you know, i want to change the world, but look good while doing it. [laughter] francine: i love that. do you think about your legacy? leena: yes, i do. for me, i hope people say that i am a purpose-led visionary leader, which means you spend a lot of time thinking about what are you doing, what are you giving back, what will be the difference you make? i think, for me, the biggest thing is if, 100 years from now, people look back and say that we, at chanel, did stuff today that inspires them, that helped

them question norms about what they're doing, audacious things that have redefined the norms, and supported women everywhere to feel like they can be the best version of themselves, i think that would be something that i would feel good about. if i made a few women in the world dream a little bit more about what they could achieve in their lives, i would feel very fulfilled in my life and career. francine: do you think you will ipo chanel? leena: no. [laughter] an ipo is not on the table. we love the privilege of being an independent company, being able to make long-term decisions 20, 30, 100 years on. francine: leena, best piece of advice and worst piece of advice you have ever been given? [laughter] leena: best piece of advice, i'm actually going to do two. one is, fall in love with the life, the job you have. don't wait for the perfect job. fall in love with the job you have and make it the most perfect job in the world.

and the other is, which my husband also tells me a lot, enjoy the journey as much as you enjoy the destination. we are always in a hurry to get somewhere. and you get promoted, you are thinking about the next promotion -- no, no, no. just enjoy. breathe a bit and enjoy the journey as much as the destination. worst piece of advice? i think most often, when you get a worst piece of advice, you just ignore it and forget about it. but, you know, i have received advice like, when i was in many rooms, the only woman in the room, the only woman in the room so many times in my career, i have received advice like, "stay quiet for as long as you can and try to blend in." and, you know, you are already standing out, because you look different from the rest. and i think that's terrible advice. i think it's really important you feel safe to be who you are. and it takes courage to be who you are. and you change by being who you are.

francine: leena nair, thank you so much for joining us today. ♪

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