Maureen Chiquet
Former global chief executive of Chanel
Maureen Chiquet is an American executive who was global chief executive of Chanel from 2007 to 2016. Before Chanel she spent fifteen years at Gap Inc., where she helped launch Old Navy, and she has since become a board member at several fashion companies and an author on leadership.
| Role | Global chief executive of Chanel (2007 to 2016) |
|---|---|
| Earlier career | Gap Inc., Old Navy, Banana Republic (1988 to 2003) |
| Book | Beyond the Label (2017) |
| Boards | Canada Goose (2017), Golden Goose chair (2020), Kering (2023) |
Who is Maureen Chiquet?
Maureen Chiquet, born in 1963, is an American fashion executive best known for leading Chanel worldwide. Her career is unusual in that it combines mass market retail at Gap Inc. with the top job at one of the world's most exclusive luxury houses.
Career
Chiquet joined Gap Inc. in 1988 as an assistant merchandiser. In 1994 she helped launch the Old Navy brand, and in 2002 she briefly moved to Banana Republic.
In 2003 she joined Chanel, and in 2004 she became president of Chanel in the United States. In 2007 she was appointed global chief executive. She led the house until 2016, working with creative director Karl Lagerfeld, and left citing strategic differences.
In 2017 she published Beyond the Label: Women, Leadership and Success on Our Own Terms with Harper Business, a book about integrating qualities often described as feminine into corporate leadership. She has since taken on board roles, joining the board of Canada Goose in 2017, becoming chair of the board of Golden Goose in 2020 and joining the board of Kering in 2023.
Influence on the fashion business
Chiquet's career illustrates several shifts in the industry:
- The movement of merchandising talent from specialty retail into luxury
- The professionalisation of management at privately owned luxury houses
- The growing presence of women at the top of fashion companies
- The role of experienced operators as independent directors on fashion boards
Her experience of building a brand from scratch at Old Navy and of protecting a heritage brand at Chanel gives her a rare perspective on both ends of the market.
Why it matters
Chanel is one of the most valuable fashion brands in the world, and Chiquet led it for nearly a decade. Her subsequent board roles at Kering, Golden Goose and Canada Goose, and her writing on leadership, keep her influential in governance and in debates about how fashion companies are led. Her presence on the board of Kering, one of the largest luxury groups, and as chair of Golden Goose, one of the fastest growing independent luxury brands, places her at the centre of decisions about leadership, strategy and succession in the sector. Her book adds a further dimension, bringing questions of leadership style and gender into a business still largely run by men.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Maureen Chiquet?
Maureen Chiquet is an American executive who was global chief executive of Chanel from 2007 to 2016. She previously worked at Gap Inc., where she helped launch Old Navy.
What book did Maureen Chiquet write?
In 2017 she published Beyond the Label: Women, Leadership and Success on Our Own Terms with Harper Business. The book draws on her career to discuss leadership in business.