Kering Shakes Up Its Board Of Directors With Three New Members: Jean Liu, Tidjane Thiam, and Emma Watson

When it comes to corporate governance the description “male, pale, and stale” is still very much the norm, but boards of directors are slowly looking around the table and realizing that they need more diversity. Diversity is key to creativity, performance, and to success. Ten people with the same background, the same education, and the same values will just politely agree with each other, where ten people from diverse backgrounds with different perspectives and experiences will have a broader range of ideas and solutions.
 

These three new appointments are far from diversity for diversity’s sake, the combined wealth of experience and skillsets of these three well-known figures will be an important asset to the group, as François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kering commented: “I am delighted to welcome Jean Liu, Tidjane Thiam, and Emma Watson to our Board of Directors. Their respective knowledge and competences, and the multiplicity of their backgrounds and perspectives will be invaluable additions to Kering’s Board of Directors. The collective intelligence that comes from diverse points of view and the richness of different experiences are crucial to the future of our organization. I am proud to add such impressive talents to the team.”
 

Tidjane Thiam is best known for his role as CEO of Credit Suisse where he served from July 2015 to February 2020. In April of this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chairperson of the African Union, appointed Thiam as African Union Special Envoy on COVID-19.

Throughout his career, he has led organizations in both the private and public sectors and his resume includes a glowing list of leadership positions at the top of the world’s most prestigious companies and organizations. During his role as CEO of Credit Suisse, he was credited with the success of a three-year restructuring program, which led to the Banker of the Year Award for Excellence in 2018, and in 2019, under his leadership, the bank had its highest profits since 2010.
 

Thiam was recognized as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 1997 and was included in the WEF’s world ‘dream cabinet’ in 1999. He is a member of the Group of Thirty (G30), a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and a member of the IOC Finance Commission. He has served on the Board of Directors of 21st Century Fox (2014-2019) and was awarded the Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor in 2011. For his new role on the Board of Directors of Kering, Thiam will be Chair of the Audit Committee.

With these three new appointments, Kering is gaining great intellectual knowledge and experience that can only help the group negotiate future challenges. Let’s hope that this is a move that will inspire other luxury brands to embrace diversity at the top.