Yana Peel

Yana Peel
Born	Mirkin 1974 Leningrad, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Occupation(s)	Executive, author, philanthropist, business leader
Years active	1997–present
Known for	Global head of arts and culture at Chanel; former CEO of Serpentine Galleries; co-founder of Outset Contemporary Art Fund and Intelligence Squared Asia

Yana Peel (born Mirkin in 1974) is a Canadian executive, author of children's books, philanthropist, and business leader originally from Russia. She currently holds the position of global head of arts and culture at the French luxury fashion brand Chanel. Peel also holds a board membership at Sadler's Wells.

As a co-founder of both the Outset Contemporary Art Fund and Intelligence Squared Asia, Peel was CEO of Intelligence Squared Group from 2013 to 2016. She participates as a member of the American Ballet Theatre Global Council and The Met International Council. In addition, she has been appointed as a juror for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2024.

Early life

Peel was born in 1974 in Leningrad (present-day St. Petersburg). Her family relocated to Canada through Austria in 1978. She spent her childhood in Toronto, Ontario and pursued Russian studies at McGill University during the 1990s. While still a student in 1996, she co-organised a charitable fashion event. Subsequently, Peel earned a postgraduate degree in economics from the London School of Economics. She was also selected for the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders cohort in 2011.

Goldman Sachs

Peel launched her professional journey in 1997 within the equities division at Goldman Sachs in London, where she progressed to the role of executive director before leaving the firm in 2003.

Outset Contemporary Art Fund

In 2003, Peel co-established the London-based charity Outset Contemporary Art Fund. This organization created a unique framework that connected artists with donors to secure funding for acquiring or commissioning artworks intended for public collections. The Fund successfully obtained over 100 works for Tate Modern and commissioned notable artists such as Francis Alys, Yael Bartana, Candice Breitz, and Steve McQueen.

Intelligence Squared

Peel co-founded Intelligence Squared Asia in 2009 alongside Amelie Von Wedel, a non-profit initiative that organizes live debates in Hong Kong. She assumed the position of CEO at Intelligence Squared Group in 2012, where she led a financial turnaround of the organization. During her tenure, Peel conducted interviews with distinguished personalities including Olafur Eliasson, Shirin Neshat at Davos, and Ai Wei Wei at the Cambridge Union.

Serpentine Galleries

Peel was appointed CEO of the Serpentine Galleries in April 2016. Her vision centered on fostering a "safe space for unsafe ideas" and nurturing a "socially conscious Serpentine," with an emphasis on deeper artist participation in shaping the institution’s future alongside artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist.

She enhanced the Galleries' digital presence through projects such as Serpentine Mobile Tours and transforming the Zaha Hadid: Early Paintings and Drawings exhibition into a virtual reality experience. Committed to open-source principles, Peel aimed to engage diverse audiences by emphasizing the critical relevance of art and architecture. Under her leadership, collaborations with partners like Google and Bloomberg contributed to achieving the Serpentine’s annual funding goal of £9.5 million.

Together with Obrist, Peel selected Diébédo Francis Kéré—the first African architect—and Frida Escobedo—the youngest architect—to participate in the Serpentine Pavilion series. In 2018, she broadened the program’s international scope by inaugurating a pavilion in Beijing designed by Jiakun Architects. The 2017 pavilion by Kéré earned the Civic Trust Award.

Peel resigned as CEO in June 2019 following scrutiny regarding her purported co-ownership of NSO Group, a subsidiary under Q Cyber Technologies. It was clarified that she held less than a 10% stake in Novalpina Capital—the entity that acquired NSO—and had no operational or managerial involvement with NSO; Novalpina was overseen by her husband.

Chanel

In March 2020, Peel assumed the role of global head of arts and culture at Chanel and joined the board of Fondation Chanel. She directs Chanel’s international cultural initiatives, significantly enhancing its engagement within the arts sector.

She introduced programs such as Chanel Connects and the Chanel Culture Fund, collaborating with cultural institutions worldwide to stimulate creativity and support innovative ideas. Recognized as a prominent figure in the art community, Peel cultivates strategic partnerships while encouraging wider appreciation of the arts.

Peel manages Chanel’s art partnership programs, developing collaborations with leading organizations including the Pompidou, National Portrait Gallery in London, Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, Rijksmuseum, Power Station of Art, Australian Ballet, and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Additionally, she works closely with influential cultural leaders such as Maria Balshaw, Tristram Hunt at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Nicholas Cullinan at the National Portrait Gallery, and Rufus Norris from the National Theatre.

Philanthropy

From 2010 until 2015, Peel held the position of co-chair at Para Site, a contemporary art venue based in Hong Kong, where she had been actively engaged since 2009.

In 2011, she established the Victoria and Albert Museum's design fund, aimed at facilitating the acquisition of modern design pieces.

Peel is a member of the therapeutic board at the NSPCC. Motivated by her role as a mother, she authored a series of toddler-oriented art books in 2008, published by Templar—Art For Baby, Color For Baby, and Faces For Baby—which showcase creations by artists including Damien Hirst and Keith Haring. The earnings from these books benefit the NSPCC.

Personal life

Peel entered into marriage with Stephen Peel, a financier specializing in private equity, in 1999. The couple has two children and lives in Bayswater, London.

Awards and honours

• Recipient of the Montblanc Award for Arts Patronage in 2011
• Featured on Debrett's 500 List: Art
• Included in the Evening Standard Progress 1000 in 2017
• Listed in ArtLyst Power 100
• Honoured as one of Harper's Bazaar Women Of The Year in 2017
• Recognized among Harper's Bazaar Working Wardrobe: Best dressed women in 2018
• Designated Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute in 2018
• Ranked second on Tatler's best dressed list in 2023