Women make up 74 of the CEOs of the top 500 earning companies in the US, or 15 percent, while globally, that figure has fallen to 4.8 percent among the Global 500. But this small group represents some of the most progressive evolutions in corporate leadership today, and their increased visibility—due to their modest numbers—means these leaders end up standing for something far bigger than themselves. Here is an introduction to five of the most influential women CEOs in luxury and how they wield their influence.
Delphine Arnault, Dior
Earlier this year, LVMH owner Bernard Arnault named his firstborn as head of Christian Dior. This follows his entry into the LVMH executive committee in 2019, a move that makes the younger Arnault the youngest person to do so.
But for Arnault, “good leadership knows no gender,” he said last year in an interview with his alma mater, EDHEC Business School. “Great leaders share many traits in common: they have a strong strategic vision, great optimism, they are open-minded, forward-thinking, empathetic to the needs of their collaborators and customers. Gendering leadership is sterile. Better conversations are a push for gender equality in top management. And more broadly, for greater diversity and representation within our team. Diversity is not only an extraordinary source of complementary skills and wealth, it is also a powerful driver of creativity, innovation and performance.”
Sabina Belli, Pomellato
CEO of the Pomellato Group since 2015, Sabina Belli is the first female CEO of Pomellato. She has pushed women’s rights through corporate initiatives as one of the hallmarks of her tenure so far. Called himself a pragmatist in an exclusive interview with GRACE Singapore, he believes in the power of the “doer”. “[Doers] turn every desire, action and responsibility into concrete actions. In business, in a team, being a doer means being a trusted person,” he said.
“This is related to teamwork: big goals are always achieved with allies. I have learned through my career that there are different ways of leadership and management. My approach is always inclusive, because working together allows us to enrich our perspectives and face challenges in a positive way. It happens at work and also in families.”
Helene Poulit-Duquesne, Boucheron
Appointed CEO of the storied jewelery maison in 2015, Poulit-Duquesne forms a formidable female lead duo along with Boucheron’s Creative Director, Claire Choisne.
“First, it is very important to have a vision. Then, the energy and passion to inspire and engage the team. Finally, kindness is important: being respectful, humble, empathetic, and kind to everyone, no matter who they are. Kindness is not synonymous with weakness,” said Poulit-Duquesne in a previous interview. “What I also believe in is that great leaders create a circle of safety around their team members.
Leena Nair, Chanel
A 30-year Unilever veteran was appointed to helm Chanel in December 2021, making her the maison’s youngest-ever CEO and proving that executives from a consumer goods background are absolutely not at a disadvantage when it comes to leading luxury homes. The human resources specialist also hosts a podcast series that interviews well-known figures from various fields.
She told ETPrime, under the Economic Times of India, about how she learned a valuable lesson in leadership by being trapped inside the Taj Hotel during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. “I remember the courage of the girl who led the staff and guests. He showed so much situational leadership, trying to find places for us to hide, giving us water all night, trying to give us any information he could find,” he recalls. “He is very calm and collected. That day I learned that leadership is situational: it doesn’t matter if you are senior or junior, all that matters is stepping up.”
Francesca Bellettini, Saint Laurent
The former Goldman Sachs investment banker made pit stops at a number of Kering Group companies such as Gucci and Bottega Veneta before landing at Saint Laurent, which he has led since 2013. Bellettini follows the collaborative leadership style, which emerges in him. a partnership with Saint Laurent’s artistic director, Anthony Vaccarello, whom he called his “adventure partner” in an interview with FashionNetwork.com.
“Vaccarello is the first person I would call if I had to make a big decision at the company, regardless of whether it was from a business standpoint or not. Our relationship is 100 percent based on trust and respect. I’m not the kind of CEO who would control, either directly or indirectly, Vaccarello’s work. It sparks fear and it’s one of the biggest problems in fashion,” he said.
“I think it’s too easy to criticize anyone who is different. I believe in free speech, I love differentiation and hate homologation. I’m not looking for what is politically correct. Puritanism goes hand in hand with standardization and I think we should stay away from it.”