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    Indra Nooyi lauds Leena Nair's leadership skills, says it was an honour to see the next Chanel CEO grow

    Synopsis

    Earlier, Nair had described the former Pepsico CEO as a friend and a mentor.

    ​Leena Nair said that Indra Nooyi always gave her the "kick in the pants" whenever she doubted herself or needed a dose of confidence.​Agencies
    Leena Nair said that Indra Nooyi always gave her the "kick in the pants" whenever she doubted herself or needed a dose of confidence. (Image: LinkedIn/Unilever)
    Indian-origin Leena Nair will take up the responsibilities of a Global CEO at the luxury fashion house Chanel by next month.

    She joins the Indian-origin executives like Sundar Pichai, Indra Nooyi, Parag Agrawal and Satya Nadella who are at the helm of top global companies.

    Her new position was the topic of discussion across social media platforms, and good wishes poured in for Chanel's next CEO. One of those congratulatory messages was from her long-time friend and mentor Nooyi.

    The former PepsiCo CEO took to LinkedIn to congratulate Nair, and said it was an honour to see her grow in her career. Her appreciation post spoke about Nair's determination, leadership skills and happy spirit for life.

    "In all the moments we’ve shared together, you’ve come with a certain joie de vivre and determination — a testament to the leader you are," the 66-year-old Nooyi wrote.

    'Joie de vivre' is a French phrase which is an expression commonly used in English to express a 'cheerful enjoyment of life'.

    "Everyone, she is one to watch. Best wishes for this new chapter," she added.

    Earlier in October, Nair interacted with Nooyi on her memoir 'My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future' as a part of Unilever's 'Learn With Leena' sessions.

    While introducing Nooyi in the video interaction, Nair described the India-born business leader as a friend and a mentor.

    "Indra is a trailblazer, exceptional woman leader, extra-ordinary business visionary leader, and the only woman who has led a business as CEO and Chairperson of a Fortune 50 company. I am proud to call her a mentor and a friend," she said.

    Nair said that Nooyi always gave her the "kick in the pants" whenever she doubted herself or needed a dose of confidence.

    "You know me as a confident person, but there have been times when I have asked Indra, 'am I good enough?' and 'why me?', and she has given me the kick in the pants to get over myself, or get the confidence back, or give me that shake up we need from time-to-time," she added.

    She discussed with Nooyi about the challenges that women professionals face in their careers, and the importance of asking for help when they need it. The former Pepsico boss also emphasised on the need for building a community of trust.


    Nooyi had earlier said that the 'issue of care' is important for every economist. For being able to progress in the economy with the best talent, leaders need to enable women and family builders to succeed.

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    (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2024 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)

    Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.

    ...more
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