Emma Watson Joins Kering Board As Chair of Sustainability Committee
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Actor and environmental activist Emma Watson has joined the board of luxury conglomerate Kering, the major stockholder in brands Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Saint Laurent. Watson will sit as Kering’s chair of its sustainability committee.
Watson has been a champion of sustainable fashion for years, supporting eco-friendly brands on the red carpet as a leader of Eco Age’s Green Carpet Challenge., as well as being the face of Good On You app, which rates brands for its sustainability credentials.
The Guardian reports that Kering brands Balenciaga, Gucci and Saint Laurent are only rated “Not good enough” or “It’s a start” by Good on You.
In addition to Watson, Kering chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault, who is married to Hollywood star and activist Salma Hayek, also announced the appointments of Ivory Coast-born former CEO of Credit Suisse Group Tidjane Thiam and Jean Liu, the president of Didi Chuxing. Ms Liu, who is based in Beijing, played a major role in Didi becoming a multi-billion dollar transport business with 550 million users worldwide. Liu appeared on TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2017.
With sustainability a high priority among millennials and generations Z and Y, the appointment of Emma Watson is important. Luxury designer and businesswoman Stella McCartney ended her relationship with Kering and is now financed by LVMH. McCartney has a special role in heading corporate-wide sustainability efforts, reporting directly to LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault and the LVMH Board of Directors.
Emma Watson also serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women. On Sept. 20, 2014, the charismatic champion of the rights of girls and women delivered a historic speech at the UN, where she launched the HeForShe initiative. The key message of Watson’s UN speech implored men and young men to become active in the movement for the rights of women and girls worldwide.
