LUXUO dives into the female-led firms and energy gamers redefining industries — from magnificence moguls and trend disruptors to enterprise capitalists funding the subsequent large factor. These ladies didn’t simply succeed; they reshaped the principles and expanded what management seems like.
Leena Nair (Style/Entrepreneurship)
Leena Nair is a British-Indian enterprise govt and the worldwide chief govt officer of Chanel, making historical past as the primary lady and first individual of Indian origin to guide the famend French luxurious home. Described as an “outsider to the style world”, she is just the second feminine CEO in Chanel’s 113-year historical past, following Maureen Chiquet’s tenure from 2007 to 2016. Earlier than becoming a member of Chanel in 2022, Nair spent over 30 years at Unilever, the place she grew to become the corporate’s first feminine, first Asian, and youngest-ever Chief Human Sources Officer (CHRO). As a key member of Unilever’s Management Government, she performed a pivotal position in shaping the corporate’s people-first method, championing range, and spearheading insurance policies that supported over 150,000 staff worldwide.
She has been vocal about her philosophy of “lifting as you climb,” advocating for extra various management in world enterprise. Her appointment at Chanel was met with overwhelming assist — as Insider reported that Nair had obtained round 7,000 messages from ladies and ladies who noticed her as an emblem of progress in luxurious management. A vocal advocate for inclusivity, she has usually spoken about breaking limitations, stating, “I’ve been the primary at each job I’ve performed — the primary lady, the primary brown individual, the primary Asian, the primary Indian — however I don’t wish to be the final.” With ladies making up simply 6 % of Fortune International 500 CEOs, Nair’s management at one of the vital prestigious luxurious manufacturers alerts a crucial shift in govt illustration.
Melanie Perkins (Tech/Entrepreneurship)
Within the tech startup ecosystem, ladies founders have traditionally obtained a small fraction of enterprise capital funding. As co-founder and CEO of Canva, Perkins has constructed a user-friendly design platform valued at billions, empowering people and companies worldwide to create professional-quality graphics. Melanie Perkins has democratised design by offering accessible instruments to non-designers, difficult the exclusivity of artistic industries. She was in a position to flip a “easy” concept into a worldwide tech empire valued at over USD 25 billion.
Canva rapidly grew to become a game-changer, democratising design with its drag-and-drop interface and intensive library of templates. As one of many youngest feminine tech billionaires, Perkins stays dedicated to sustainability, accessibility, and empowering creators worldwide. Canva continues to develop past design into AI-powered instruments, shaping the way forward for visible communication and digital collaboration.
Serena Williams (Sports activities)
Past her athletic prowess and legacy as one of many best tennis gamers in historical past, Williams can also be a cultural icon, influencing trend, music, and broader societal narratives. Her sudden look on the Tremendous Bowl LIX halftime present in February 2025, the place she joined Kendrick Lamar on stage, exemplified her seamless mix into mainstream tradition with the memorable C-walk. Williams’ journey extends past private accolades, she has additionally been a staunch advocate for girls’s empowerment. In 2014, she based Serena Ventures — a enterprise capital agency devoted to investing in startups led by ladies and other people of shade, aiming to degree the taking part in subject in entrepreneurship. Her various portfolio consists of stakes in over 85 firms — akin to Not possible Meals and Masterclass, reflecting her dedication to innovation and inclusivity. Her endeavours haven’t solely challenged conventional gender roles however have additionally impressed numerous ladies to pursue management positions throughout numerous industries.
Williams’ enterprise acumen is obvious in her strategic investments and model endorsements. Her partnerships with world manufacturers like Puma, Nike, and Gatorade have complemented her on-court success, contributing considerably to her estimated USD 340 million internet value. Furthermore, her possession stakes in sports activities franchises — together with the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Golf Membership — spotlight her affect and presence in historically male-dominated arenas. Serena Williams’ evolution from a tennis champion to a multifaceted powerhouse exemplifies the definition of what it’s to be a lady in energy — balancing excellence in sports activities, enterprise management, and cultural affect. Her story continues to each encourage and empower, reinforcing the notion that ladies can excel throughout numerous domains.
Christine Hutter (Watchmaking)
As one of many few feminine leaders in watchmaking, Hutter’s success in reviving the Moritz Grossmann model underscores the potential for girls to guide and innovate in technical fields historically dominated by males. In a male-dominated trade the place solely 10 % of govt positions belong to ladies, Christine Hutter proved that impartial haute horlogerie might thrive with out company backing. She introduced a female-led imaginative and prescient to an trade traditionally outlined by Swiss and male dominance, specializing in precision craftsmanship with a definite German heritage.
Hutter’s journey started with a robust private imaginative and prescient of making a model rooted within the highest requirements of workmanship — a imaginative and prescient that she become actuality from humble beginnings. Beginning the corporate in her kitchen in 2008, she rapidly grew to become a trailblazer in reviving the legacy of Moritz Grossmann, a revered determine in Glashütte. Below her management, the model has change into synonymous with technical innovation, producing timepieces that mix custom with cutting-edge design. The event of the automated hammer winding mechanism and the model’s skill to provide 90 % of its actions in-house set it aside as a real manufacture. Hutter’s method isn’t just in regards to the watches; it’s about redefining what management seems like within the watchmaking trade. Regardless of being outnumbered, she thrives in a world the place male executives are extra frequent. Her presence within the trade not solely elevates the standing of German watchmaking but additionally sends a message of empowerment, proving that ladies can excel in extremely technical and traditionally male-dominated industries.
Learn Extra: Moritz Grossmann CEO Christine Hutter: Triple Menace within the Recreation of Watches
Selena Gomez (Music/Magnificence)
A real multi-hyphenate, Selena Gomez’s affect extends throughout numerous industries. Past her profitable profession in leisure, Gomez has solidified herself as a strong pressure within the magnificence trade with the launch of Uncommon Magnificence, a model constructed on inclusivity and authenticity. Based in 2020, Uncommon Magnificence has achieved exceptional success, reaching a valuation of over USD 2 billion by 2024. The model is well known for its dedication to inclusivity, providing a various shade vary and emphasising ease of use in its product designs. Notably, Uncommon Magnificence’s packaging includes a distinctive disc design, enhancing accessibility for people with dexterity challenges. Past magnificence, Gomez has demonstrated a robust dedication to psychological well being advocacy by means of the Uncommon Impression Fund, pledging 1 % of all gross sales to lift USD 100 million over ten years to develop psychological well being companies in underserved communities. This mix of business success and social accountability underscores Uncommon Magnificence’s position as a trailblazer within the magnificence trade.
In 2025, Uncommon Magnificence’s valuation expanded considerably, buoyed by Gomez’s strategic selections to develop product strains, associate with world retailers and improve its digital presence. Uncommon Magnificence’s dedication to physique positivity, self-love and psychological well being consciousness — all championed by Gomez — resonated deeply with customers and solidified the model’s place as a pacesetter within the trade. Moreover, the model’s distinctive handicapable packaging design, geared toward accessibility, additional boosted its attraction to a wider market, showcasing Gomez’s skill to handle shopper wants whereas rising Uncommon Magnificence right into a globally recognised title.
Sabina Belli (Jewelry)
High-quality jewelry has traditionally been marketed to ladies however not by ladies. As one of many few feminine CEOs within the luxurious jewelry trade, Sabina Belli has reshaped the dialog. Below her management, Pomellato has seen document income progress whereas championing gender equality by means of the “Pomellato for Ladies” initiative. Launched in 2017, the marketing campaign challenges stereotypes, encourages feminine ambition and leverages the model’s visibility to advocate for change. Past consciousness, Pomellato helps CADMI — a Milan-based ladies’s shelter — and companions with the Kering Basis to fight gender-based violence. Belli’s affect extends past jewelry — her e-book “D Come Donna, C Come CEO” shares her experiences to encourage the subsequent technology of ladies leaders.
The Monetary Occasions studies that Belli has steered Pomellato into key worldwide markets, establishing a stable presence in China, Japan and the U.S., thereby enhancing the model’s world footprint. Below her steerage, Pomellato hosted the “Artwork & Jewellery” exhibition in Shanghai, showcasing over 100 items from its archives and present collections. This occasion aimed to deepen the model’s reference to Chinese language customers and spotlight its dedication to artistry and high quality. Via these efforts, Sabina Belli has not solely propelled Pomellato’s progress but additionally positioned the model as a beacon of ladies’s empowerment and cultural sophistication within the luxurious jewellery trade.
Jasmine Anteunis (Expertise)
Ladies are vastly underrepresented in AI and numerous tech industries, but their contributions are important in shaping moral, inclusive AI methods. Jasmine Anteunis (VP product and cofounder, Recast.AI) constructed a conversational AI startup, Recast.AI, when the sector was dominated by male-led tech corporations, proving that ladies could lead on in AI innovation. She co-founded Recast.AI in 2015, and just some years later, the corporate was acquired by SAP, solidifying her place as a number one determine in the way forward for AI-powered interactions. Her management and innovation led to the corporate’s acquisition by SAP in January 2018, after efficiently elevating EUR 2 million in funding in June 2016 from buyers together with Kima Ventures, managed by Xavier Niel. This acquisition resulted in Recast.AI being rebranded as SAP Conversational AI in early 2019. In recognition of her contributions, Anteunis was named amongst Europe’s Prime 50 Ladies in Tech by Forbes in 2018. Her journey from learning arts to turning into a pacesetter in AI highlights the transformative potential of ladies in driving technological innovation.
Recast.AI centered on simplifying the method of constructing AI-driven conversational brokers, enabling firms to reinforce customer support and automate interactions by means of superior pure language processing and machine studying applied sciences. The platform served purchasers throughout numerous industries, together with telecommunications, transportation, and development. Recast.AI serves greater than 20 high-profile clients, together with telecoms firm SFR, development group Bouygues, and French rail agency SNCF. Anteunis’ success is a mirrored image of the rising presence and affect of ladies in AI.
Bela Bajaria (Leisure & Tv)
Because the chief content material officer at Netflix, Bela Bajaria’s management represents a shift not simply in who holds energy in Hollywood however within the sorts of tales that attain audiences worldwide. Ladies have lengthy been underrepresented within the media trade, usually typecast or stereotyped with narratives formed by the “male gaze.” As chief content material officer, Bajaria has been instrumental in diversifying the panorama, guaranteeing that voices from completely different backgrounds, cultures, and views are given prominence.
Below her management, Netflix has championed worldwide storytelling — with hits like Lupin from France, Cash Heist from Spain, and Squid Recreation from South Korea — proving that non-English content material can dominate world popular culture. Bajaria’s give attention to inclusivity can also be evident within the rise of female-driven tales, from the feminist regency romance of Bridgerton to the sensible however unconventional protagonist of The Queen’s Gambit. Her skill to stability business attraction with artistic risk-taking has made Netflix a powerhouse for contemporary, genre-defying narratives. Past simply rising illustration on-screen, Bajaria’s affect extends behind the scenes — championing ladies and other people of color in key artistic and govt roles. In an trade that has historically sidelined various voices, her affect helps reshape the way forward for leisure. When it comes to being a lady in energy, her position is akin to dictating which exhibits we as customers, get to look at — shaping the cultural zeitgeist within the course of.
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