Thrissur, Kerala, India, June 2026 – Asirvad Micro Finance Limited has announced the appointment of Palanisamy Annamalai as its Chief Learning Officer (CLO). With more than three decades of experience spanning learning and development, talent capability building, sales effectiveness, leadership development, and organizational learning, he will play a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s learning ecosystem and supporting its next phase of growth and transformation.
Before joining Asirvad Micro Finance Limited, Palanisamy Annamalai served as Senior Vice President / Head – Learning & Development at Spandana Sphoorty Financial Limited. In this leadership role, he was responsible for driving learning strategies across the organization, focusing on capability development, leadership effectiveness, employee growth, and business-aligned learning interventions within the microfinance sector.
Prior to Spandana, he spent over six years with IIFL Samasta Finance Limited, where he progressively advanced through leadership roles including General Manager, Assistant Vice President, Deputy Vice President, and Vice President. During this period, he led the organization’s learning and development agenda, strengthening talent capabilities, coaching frameworks, digital learning initiatives, and leadership development programs to support the company’s expanding operations.
Earlier, Palanisamy Annamalai was associated with Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance as Zonal Training Head, overseeing learning and development initiatives across multiple southern markets. He was responsible for training strategy, capability enhancement, and performance improvement initiatives for large sales and distribution teams across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, and other regions.
A significant chapter of his career was spent at HDFC Life, where he served for approximately nine years in roles including Branch Training Manager, Area Training Manager, and Regional Training Manager. He played a key role in designing and implementing learning interventions, onboarding programs, leadership development initiatives, trainer capability enhancement, budgeting, stakeholder engagement, and regional training governance. His contributions helped strengthen organizational capability-building efforts across multiple business verticals and geographies.
Earlier in his career, Palanisamy Annamalai gained extensive experience with Pfizer and Modi-Mundipharma, where he established a strong track record in sales excellence, leadership development, product launches, and professional engagement. At Pfizer, he earned recognition through multiple leadership and performance awards and was selected for a future leadership development program. These formative experiences laid the foundation for his later transition into learning and talent development leadership.
About Asirvad Micro Finance Limited
Asirvad Micro Finance Limited began its journey in 2007 with a mission to support financially underserved communities, particularly women from low-income households, through income-generating loan products. Starting in Tamil Nadu, the organization gradually expanded its presence across India, helping millions of customers improve their financial stability and economic prospects.
A major milestone in the company’s growth came when it became a subsidiary of Manappuram Finance Limited in 2015. Since then, Asirvad has significantly expanded its operational footprint, product portfolio, and customer reach. Today, the company manages assets under management exceeding ₹10,000 crore and serves nearly three million customers across India, continuing its commitment to financial inclusion and sustainable community development.
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