According to documents submitted by French luxury group Chanel to the UK Companies House, the company officially appointed Simone Bagel-Trah, Teresa Yuk Yin Ko, and William George Touche as non-executive directors on January 1.
Simone Bagel-Trah, born in 1969 in Düsseldorf, Germany, has served as Chairwoman of the Shareholders’ Committee and Supervisory Board at Henkel, a German consumer goods group, since 2008. She joined Henkel’s Supervisory Board in 2001. Before that, she worked as an independent consultant in applied microbiology and coordinated industrial projects for the Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the University of Bonn. Bagel-Trah earned her Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Bonn in 1998.
Teresa Yuk Yin Ko, a British national born in 1960 and currently residing in Hong Kong, is one of the most distinguished corporate and securities lawyers in the region. A graduate of Jesus College, University of Oxford, she is a Senior Partner at the law firm Freshfields in Hong Kong and the founding partner of Freshfields’ Asia private equity practice.
William George Touche, a British national born in 1962 and currently residing in the UK, serves as a non-executive director at Chanel Limited, DMGT (a private media group), and the UK technology trade association techUK. He is also an advisor to the boards of several early-stage technology companies.
Touche spent 30 years at Deloitte (1993–2023), where he was a Senior Partner and Vice Chairman of Deloitte’s London office.
According to the latest records from the UK Companies House, the board of Chanel Limited, headquartered in London, is currently composed of the following members:
Alain Wertheimer (Executive Chairman, Co-owner of Chanel)
A French national born in 1948 and now residing in the United States, Alain Wertheimer serves as Global Executive Chairman of Chanel Group.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the Wertheimer family’s net worth increased by 19% over the past year to $108 billion. The 77-year-old Alain Wertheimer and his 74-year-old brother, Gerard Wertheimer, co-own equal shares in the company. The brothers are grandsons of Pierre Wertheimer, the original business partner of Chanel’s founder Gabrielle Chanel in the perfume business, and they inherited the holding company together.
Leena Kumar Nair (Global Chief Executive Officer)
A British national born in 1969 and residing in the UK, Leena Nair is Chanel’s Global CEO.
Before joining Chanel, Nair had a 30-year career at Unilever, where she was Chief Human Resources Officer and a member of the Unilever Executive Committee. She was the first woman, the first Asian, and the youngest person to hold this position at Unilever.
Bruno Andre Jean Pavlovsky (President of Fashion)
A French national born in 1962 and residing in France, Bruno Pavlovsky is President of Fashion at Chanel. In July 2022, he was appointed President of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (French Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion).
Philippe Bernard Blondiaux (Global Chief Financial Officer)
A French national born in 1965 and residing in the UK, Philippe Blondiaux is Chanel’s Global CFO. He is also a board member of FARM STREET PROPERTY, BOULE DE NEIGE LIMITED, and the Chanel Foundation.
Blondiaux began his career at KPMG and holds an MBA from EM Lyon Business School and the DESCF (Diplôme d’Études Supérieures Comptables et Financières), the highest qualification for French chartered accountants.
Bertrand Henry Gros (Non-executive Chairman)
A Swiss national born in 1950 and residing in Switzerland, Bertrand Gros is also a lawyer and Chairman of the Board at ECLYPSE PROPERTIES, an asset management company. He served as Chairman of Rolex for 15 years before retiring in 2022.
Vincent Graham Shaw (Non-executive Director)
A British national born in 1958 and currently residing in Singapore, Vincent Shaw worked at Chanel for over 30 years before retiring in June 2024, most recently serving as President of Chanel Asia-Pacific.
Alexandra Rose Mahon (Non-executive Director)
A British national born in 1973 and residing in the UK, Alexandra Mahon is the CEO of UK investment company 4 Ventures and Channel Four Investments. With extensive experience in media and visual industries, she previously served as CEO of visual effects and virtual reality technology company Foundry and entertainment company Shine Group.
Baroness Martha Lane Fox (Non-executive Director)
A British national born in 1973 and residing in the UK, Baroness Martha Lane Fox is a member of the UK House of Lords.
Marianna Nitsch (Board Secretary)
Marianna Nitsch is Chanel’s Global Chief Legal Officer and Board Secretary.
Paul Alain Abecassis (Non-executive Director)
A Swiss national born in 1950 and residing in the UK, Paul Alain Abecassis is a banker and a board member of consulting firm Eaton Place Advisors. (No public photo available.)
| Source: UK Companies House
| Image Credit: LinkedIn
| Editor: LeZhi
