Kering, owner of luxury brands including Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen, announced the appointment of three new board members, including actress and activist Emma Watson. Ms. Watson has also been appointed as Chair of the board’s Sustainability Committee.

In addition to her acting career, Ms. Watson has become known for her activism. She has served as a UN WOMEN Global Goodwill Ambassador, launched the HeForShe initiative aimed at involving men in the promotion of gender equality, and backed the launch of The Justice and Equality Fund. As Chair of the Sustainability Committee, she will be in charge of the committee’s mandate to assess Kering’s commitment to ethics, social, environmental and societal responsibility, and to review ethical measures, performance and CSR ratings.

In addition Ms. Watson, Kering announced the appointments of Jean Liu and Tidjane Thiam to the board. Ms. Liu is the President of Didi Chuxing, the world’s largest multi-modal mobile transportation platform. Mr. Thiam was Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse Group AG from July 2015 to February 2020, and has recently been appointed as African Union Special Envoy on Covid 19. Mr. Thiam has also been appointed as Chair of the Audit Committee.

Welcoming the new board members, François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kering, said:

“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.”