Leena Nair appointed British Museum trustee

The British Museum’s engagement with the Asian community in the UK – and also with India – has strengthened with the appointment of Leena Nair, global CEO of Chanel, as one of its trustees.

Her appointment – made formally by King Charles – was welcomed by George Osborne, the chair of the trustees, who said: “I am absolutely delighted that Leena Nair is joining the team. Leena is one of our generation’s most successful business leaders and has led Chanel to new highs.”

Osborne, a former chancellor of the exchequer, added: “It makes the strong board we have been building even stronger. I know Leena will bring that business acumen and her global experience to our discussions at this critical time, as we undertake a once-in-a-lifetime rebuilding and re-imagination of the Museum.”

The British Museum explained: “Leena’s appointment has been approved by The King, on the recommendation of the Museum. As set out in the British Museum Act 1963, one Trustee is appointed by The Sovereign, 15 are appointed by the Prime Minister, and five are appointed by the Board of Trustees. Four trustees are appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the nominations of the Presidents of the Royal Academy, the British Academy, the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Royal Society.”

Nair commented: “Museums are the heartbeats of cities and the ideas that shape what’s next – in culture, in art, in society. I am grateful to The King for this appointment and am honoured to join this prestigious institution that plays such an essential role in London, the UK, and across the global cultural landscape in bringing context, inspiration, discovery, and joy to so many.”

In June last year, Nair received her CBE from Prince William at an investiture held at Windsor Castle.

Born in the small town of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Nair studied engineering before discovering her passion for human resources at XLRI Jamshedpur. At Unilever, she broke multiple barriers and led major inclusion efforts before taking the leap into fashion.

Nair is a familiar figure to Eastern Eye readers. She was ranked 13th in the 2026 GG2 Power List.

'I put people at the centre of everything,' says Chanel CEO Leena Nair www.easterneye.biz

In the past year or two, the British Museum has intensified its engagement with Indians and India especially.

It held an exhibition, Ancient India: living traditions, curated by Dr Sushma Jansari, last year from 22 May to 19 October. This inspired its glamorous “Pink Ball”, the London equivalent of the Met Gala in New York with generous support from the Ambanis, the richest family in India. The £2.5m raised from the Ball is to be used to develop the British Museum’s international links, particularly in cultural exchanges with India.

The ball was attended by, among others, Mukesh Ambani’s wife and daughter, Nita Ambani and Isha Ambani, and also by the former prime minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty.

Nair will take up the role immediately and soon attend her first meeting as a trustee.

The British Museum said that under Nair’s leadership, “Chanel has deepened its century-long philanthropic commitment to arts and culture, and grown Fondation CHANEL, an independent foundation dedicated to advancing a world where women and girls can shape their own future.”

It went on: “As the British Museum continues to deliver its Masterplan, one of the most significant cultural redevelopment projects undertaken anywhere in the world, Leena’s unique experience and her leadership of one of the world’s most iconic brands will be invaluable.”

It also said that since her appointment as Chanel’s global CEO in January 2022, “Leena has brought a visionary and human-centred approach to the luxury sector, leading Chanel into a new phase of transformative progress across all dimensions of the business. Under her leadership, Chanel has continued to strengthen its iconic position as the ultimate House of luxury: investing in the highest standards of creation, client experience, savoir-faire, and deepening its commitment to sustainability, culture and philanthropy, as it strives to be a beacon of inspiration for generations to come.

“Prior to joining Chanel, Leena was the Chief Human Resources Officer and a member of the Executive Committee at Unilever, where she spent 30 years. She previously served as a member of the Board of the Leverhulme Trust, a non-executive director at BT plc., and a non-executive Board member at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

“A leader whose journey and vision have inspired many around the world, Leena has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout her career, including being named in TIME magazine’s 2024 Women of the Year list and being appointed a CBE in 2025 for services to the retail and consumer sector.”

It said: “Leena was born in India and is an alumna of Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli and graduated with an MBA from the Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur.”

The trustees are not paid for their work.

Other trustees, with Osborne as chair, currently include: Professor Dame Mary Beard; Dame Tracey Emin; Lord Daniel Finkelstein; Professor Chris Gosden; Philipp Hildebrand; Tom Holland; Dame Vivian Hunt; Sir Jony Ive; Dr Tiffany Jenkins; Alison Jones; Martha Kearney; Meneesha Kellay; Sir Charlie Mayfield; Erdem Moralioglu; Alejandro Santo Domingo; Dr Weijian Shan; Professor Sir Mark Walport; George Weston; Claudia Winkleman; and Professor Dame Sarah Worthington.