Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, October 2025 – Metro Brands Limited, one of India’s leading footwear retail companies and home to iconic brands such as Metro Shoes, Mochi, and Walkway, has appointed Aparnaa J. as Head of Talent Development. In this strategic leadership role, Aparnaa will oversee learning, leadership development, and capability-building initiatives across the organization, strengthening Metro Brands’ commitment to nurturing talent and driving a culture of continuous learning and excellence.
Before joining Metro Brands, Aparnaa J. served as Lead – Learning & Organizational Development (L&OD) at Raymond Realty, where she played a key role in building organizational capability through leadership development programs, blended learning interventions, and digital learning solutions. Her work focused on aligning business objectives with people strategies, designing impactful learning experiences, and fostering high-performing teams through data-driven L&D initiatives.
Earlier, Aparnaa was with Mahindra Insurance Brokers Limited as a Learning and Development Specialist, where she implemented competency-based training frameworks, built leadership pipelines, and enhanced employee engagement through learning innovation. Her deep understanding of corporate training and learning systems helped drive measurable improvements in productivity and talent retention.
Prior to that, she worked with Jio as a Learning and Development Manager, where she led large-scale learning programs focused on leadership, customer service, and employee capability enhancement. At Jio, Aparnaa was instrumental in integrating digital learning methodologies and leveraging technology to optimize learning delivery across the organization.
Aparnaa’s early career includes seven years at Silver Brook Learning Center as Senior Content Manager, where she specialized in content strategy, instructional design, and blended learning models for the BFSI sector. She also held roles at Dun & Bradstreet, Geetanjali Institute of Management Studies, Datamatics Global Services Limited, and Anand Rathi Securities, where she gained valuable experience in research, education, and operations management.
Aparnaa holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the Faculty of Management Studies, Udaipur, with specialization in Financial Services Management. Her multifaceted experience across corporate and academic sectors has equipped her with the insight and agility needed to build robust learning cultures in fast-evolving organizations.
About Metro Brands Limited
Metro Brands Limited (MBL) is one of India’s largest and most admired footwear retailers. Incorporated in 1977, the company operates 598 stores across 136 cities, representing a diverse portfolio of brands including Metro Shoes, Mochi, Walkway, DaVinchi, J. Fontini, and Cheemo. MBL is also the national retail partner for Crocs in India, managing over 150 Crocs stores nationwide. With a legacy rooted in customer-centric innovation, design excellence, and service, Metro Brands has positioned itself as a trusted name in the Indian retail landscape.
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