Emma Watson joined Kering's board of directors

Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault announced yesterday that three new roles have been added to the industrial group's board of directors. Two of them will be independent directors: former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam and Jean Liu, president of the Pekingese transport company DiDi Chuxing, who will be in charge of the Audit Committee and implement new strategies and technologies for the Chinese market, respectively. The third role, which will be a non-independent position, will instead be the direction of Kering's Sustainability Committee and will be filled by Emma Watson, actress and activist who became famous for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise as well as for her commitment to sustainability in fashion.

The three new appointments were proposed to shareholders in March and approved at the annual meeting whose decisions were made public yesterday. Emma Watson has been chosen for her constant activism supporting causes such as gender equality and sustainability: in 2011 she collaborated with Alberta Ferretti on an eco-friendly collection, in 2014 she was named United Nations Global Goodwill Ambassador and for years has been promoting the use of recycled fabrics through her looks on the red carpet. Pinault commented on the appointment with these words:

«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».