Two decades in IBM gets Aparna N chief talent role

NEW YORK: Aparna N has climbed to the top of IBM’s people operations, landing the chief talent, leadership and culture officer position in November after 22 years navigating the company’s human resources machinery.

The promotion caps a swift ascent through IBM’s consulting division, where Aparna spent the past two years as vice president for offerings and growth, steering people strategy across a $20n billion-plus business spanning service lines, sales ecosystems and client expansion. She also oversaw the delicate work of integrating acquisitions without losing momentum.

Before that sprint to the executive suite, Aparna built her reputation as director of talent strategy and solutions for IBM Consulting from 2018 to 2023, managing a 20-person global team responsible for 150,000 employees and executives. Her portfolio ran the gamut: skills development, diversity initiatives, retention programmes and performance management across a $17 billion operation.

Her IBM journey began in Bangalore in 2003, handling talent acquisition before progressing through compensation roles in India and the Asia-Pacific region. A stint as global compensation programme manager followed, then positions leading HR for IBM Systems and global mobility programmes, before her move into consulting.

The New York-based executive now holds the reins for shaping how IBM attracts, develops and keeps talent in a fiercely competitive market for technology workers. No small task for someone who started out building the company’s employer brand in India’s talent wars two decades ago.