Both of them are Indian women. In their respective industries, they are both shattering the adage “glass ceiling.” One is an economist, namely the International Monetary Fund’s first deputy managing director, and the other is the worldwide chief executive of Chanel, a high-end French fashion brand.
If everything had gone according to plan, their paths might never have intersected. However, at the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos, IMF chief Gita Gopinath met Chanel CEO Leena Nair and snapped a photo to remember the event.
It’s great to meet Leena Nair at last. An economist meets a fashion mogul only in Davos, Gopinath, 52, wrote in the photo’s caption.
Every year, the World Economic Forum has its annual gathering in the small Swiss town of Davos, which is attended by worldwide elites, businesspeople, economists, and world leaders.
Gopinath grew up in India, where he was born. She completed her master’s degree at the Delhi School of Economics after earning her bachelor’s degree from Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College. Her doctorate is from Princeton.
Gopinath was the IMF’s top economist from 2019 to 2022. She was named deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund in January 2022, making her the second-in-command of the organisation.
Leena Nair, on the other hand, has the distinction of becoming Unilever’s first female and youngest chief human resources officer. She is an Indian-born British citizen who spent thirty years working at Unilever before joining the company to become CEO of Chanel in 2021.
