Leadership

Berge Setrakian, an attorney, is a partner at DLA Piper LLP (US), a global law firm with 4,200 lawyers located in 31 countries. He serves as President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), the largest Armenian non-profit organization in the world, having been elected to this position on February 22, 2002. He was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1949, is married to Vera (née Nazarian) and has two daughters, Ani and Lara. Berge is a graduate of the Université Saint-Joseph of Beirut and the Université de Lyon. He is a member of the New York Bar, Beirut Bar and the American Bar Association. He serves on the Board of Directors of Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, a UK- based publicly traded company, and Interaudi Bank of New York. He also served on the Board of Investcom, a telecommunications company, until its sale to MTN Investcom. Berge also serves on the board of directors of various not-for-profit organizations, including the American University of Armenia.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 1977.

Joseph Oughourlian is the founder of Amber Capital and the sole portfolio manager of both the Amber Global Opportunities Fund and the Amber Active Investors Fund. He founded Amber Capital in New York in November 2005. Now, Amber has a strong presence in Europe, with investment offices in both London and Milan. Joseph began his career at Société Générale in Paris in 1994 and soon moved to New York. In 1997, he started managing proprietary money for Société Générale, which led to the first Amber Fund being established in October 2001, with seed capital from the bank. Joseph graduated from the HEC Business School and from IEP (Sciences-Po), both in Paris, and earned his MSc in Economics from Sorbonne in Paris. In addition to his role on the board of AGBU, he sits on the boards of PRISA (Spain’s leading media group), Cofide SpA (the De Benedetti group holding company in Italy), and Sorgente SpA (a hydropower company in Italy). Born in Paris, France, Joseph currently resides in London, England with his wife Jenny and three children Jean, Alice and Julien.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2010.

Nazareth A. Festekjian retired from Citigroup in November 2022 and currently is a consultant in the banking industry. He was Chairman of Global Structured Finance in Citi’s Fixed Income Capital Market Origination Group and was co-Head of Global Fixed Income Products that included Structured Finance, Project Finance, New Products and Liability Management. Nazareth joined Salomon Brothers in 1992 and over the course of his career at Citi he has led large sovereign liability management restructurings globally, including the debt restructurings of Ecuador, Uruguay, and Iraq. In this capacity, he has had extensive experience working with global banking regulators and multilateral organizations, including the IMF and the US Treasury. In addition, Nazareth has been very active in the creation of innovative financial instruments for financial institutions, US Trust Preferred Securities and bank hybrid capital securities.

He is a graduate of the AGBU Hovagimian Manoogian School in Lebanon and holds an MBA from J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, MS in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University and BSEE from the American University of Beirut.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2006.

Yervant Demirjian is a private real estate investor. He primarily focuses on the development of high-income housing in Los Angeles. Prior to becoming a real estate investor, Yervant served as Vice Chairman and managing director of Interaudi Bank in New York. In addition, he served as Director and Vice Chairman of Cedars Bank in Los Angeles, California and Chief Financial Officer of Demco Steel Industries.

Yervant holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. He is also fluent in English, French, Armenian and Arabic.

Yervant currently serves on the board of the Partners Bank of California, is a Foundation Trustee of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, a Trustee of the American University of Armenia (AUA), and a Board Member of the Lebanese American Foundation.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2006.

Sarkis Jebejian is a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, an international law firm with 20 offices and more than 3,500 attorneys globally. He is based in New York and practices corporate law, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and shareholder activism defense. Sarkis’s clients include Accenture, BAE Systems, Bain Capital, Eli Lilly, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, Infineon Technologies, Six Flags and Vista Equity Partners. Sarkis has been repeatedly recognized as one of the world’s leading M&A attorneys by numerous publications, and clients praise him for being “both a lawyer and a business thinker,” and note that he is “always available and responsive, very practical and collaborative.”

Sarkis is a member of the Board of Trustees and Secretary of Carnegie Hall, which is dedicated to presenting extraordinary music to the widest possible audience with performances, educational programs and the cultivation of new artists.

Sarkis graduated from Columbia University with degrees in Economics and Law.  He resides in Englewood, New Jersey with his wife Maral and their son Shahe and daughter Katia.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2006.

Arda Haratunian is a strategic communications advisor to public and private companies, leveraging a 39-year career in communications, public affairs and public policy spanning both the public and private sectors.  She also teaches at Queens College in its honors Business and Liberal Arts program, and until 2020, Columbia University, where she was a founding member of the advisory board for the master’s program in Strategic Communications.  

Before launching her own practice 14 years ago, Arda served as Senior Policy Advisor to former Nassau County Executive (now Congressman) Tom Suozzi, managing large-scale initiatives related to government efficiency, health and human services and regional planning.  She joined his staff in 2003 from Citigroup, where she was Managing Director of Global Corporate Communications for its corporate and investment bank.  She had previously served as Head of Media and Public Relations at the American Stock Exchange.  Arda came to Wall Street following a 10-year career in public service working for former New York Governor Mario Cuomo.

Long active in civic and community activities, Arda is a member of the boards of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), the American University of Armenia (AUA), The Energeia Partnership for Regional Stewardship, and a founding board member of Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia (APRI Armenia) and The Armenia Project (TAP).

Arda earned her BA in Communications and Political Science from Queens College and her MA in Public Administration from New York University.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2007.

Haig Ariyan is the CEO of Arax Investment Partners, a RedBird Capital portfolio company. Prior to this, Haig was the President and CEO of Alex. Brown, America’s first investment banking firm. While at Alex. Brown, Haig oversaw 220 Financial Advisors in 18 offices, and $70B in client assets. Additionally, he was the Head of Global Wealth Solutions, the product and solutions platform supporting all of Raymond James' more than 8000 affiliated advisors. Prior to leading the sale and integration of Alex. Brown to Raymond James Financial, Haig was the head of Deutsche Bank Wealth Management in the Americas.

Following a career start at Dean Witter Reynolds, Haig joined Alex. Brown & Sons in 1996 as a client advisor in Greenwich, Connecticut. After several years of building a successful practice working with high-net-worth families, and Deutsche Bank’s acquisition of BT Alex. Brown, Haig was named regional executive of the Greenwich office. In 2005, he was promoted to manage the midtown New York City office, while continuing to oversee the Greenwich business. He was also responsible for opening Deutsche Bank’s Wall Street branch. In 2009, Haig served as head of the eastern region of Private Client Services and one year later was appointed the head of the American wealth management franchise.

A graduate of Rutgers University, Haig is active on the board of trustees of the Diocese of the Armenian Church and has served as chairman of the Armenian Church Endowment Fund’s investment committee. He is also a member of the board of the Dadourian Foundation, a private family foundation based in New York. 

Haig Ariyan resides in West Nyack, New York, with his wife and four daughters.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2019.

Arnaud Attamian is the Chief Financial Officer of Thought Machine, the cloud native banking technology company, overseeing finance and risk and compliance functions. Arnaud has 25 years of experience across strategic and commercial finance, treasury, investor relations and investment banking. He has a passion for technology and the digital transformation across industries and in particular the banking sector.

Previously, Arnaud worked at Finastra, a global pure-play financial software player providing mission critical software solutions and professional services in the world of financial services. Prior to Finastra, Arnaud was a managing director at the investment banking boutique, TAP Advisors, where he co-led the communications and infrastructure coverage in the EMEA region, based in London. He previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch for 15 years. Over the course of his investment banking career, he has led financial advisory and financing transactions including over $150 billion in M&A, $25 billion raised in equity offerings and billions in high yield and investment grade issuance offerings.

Arnaud is an active member of AGBU, having served on the Strategic Advisory Council for the European region and on the board of AGBU France. He is sitting on the board of AGBU London Trust. Arnaud holds a Master’s in Financial Engineering and Corporate Finance from Paris Dauphine University. He lives in London with his wife Ani and two sons.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2015.

Camilio Azzouz is a Managing Partner at Amber Capital. Founded in 2005, the alternative asset management firm invests in publicly traded companies throughout Europe and Latin America. Camilio is the Co-Founder of Amber Capital Armenia, a manager of Armenia’s first private equity fund launched with the European Union and the EBRD. He is currently President of AGBU Europe and sits on the board of AGBU London Trust. He is also a member of the global leadership community of YPO.

Born in Montreal, Camilio is fluent in English, French, Armenian, Arabic, and proficient in Spanish. He graduated with an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and with an MSc in Management and Economics from the University Paris-Dauphine. Currently, Camilio resides in London with his wife Dalia (née Boghossian).

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2021.

Dr. Eric Esrailian is a physician, Emmy-nominated film producer, investor, and entrepreneur. He is actively involved in philanthropic efforts connecting health, human rights, education, and the arts. He is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Medicine and the Chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In 2012, the School of Medicine awarded Dr. Esrailian the Lincy Foundation Chair in Clinical Gastroenterology. He attended the University of California at Berkeley and graduated with a major in integrative biology and a minor in English. He subsequently graduated from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Southern California. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at UCLA where he also obtained a Master of Public Health degree with the assistance of an NIH sponsored training grant. He is a graduate of the Executive Program in Management from the UCLA Anderson School of Management where he serves on the Board of Advisors. Dr. Esrailian is also a part of the leadership of several philanthropic organizations including, but not limited to, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors of the Hammer Museum, the Board of Directors of the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and the Board of Directors for XPRIZE. He is closely involved in strategic planning efforts for UCLA Health, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and for the entire university. In 2017, the university designated Esrailian as a UCLA Optimist -- among its notable alumni and faculty dedicated to solving the world’s problems. In 2021, he was also honored by Pope Francis at the Vatican with the Benemerenti Medal for his humanitarian activities around the world.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2016.

Since his retirement, Vahé Gabrache has closed his financial companies and remains a shareholder of the family company, Gabrache S.A., whose main activity is real estate.

Vahé founded the UGAB Switzerland chapter in 1986.  After more than twenty years as President of the Armenian Union of Switzerland, he is today president of various Armenian foundations in Switzerland, including the UGAB Foundation, the Philippossian and Pilossian Foundation, the Armenia Foundation, the Hagop Topalian Foundation, the Armenian Alliance Foundation.  He is also treasurer of the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Foundation and a member of the Aznavour Foundation.

At present, he carries out various activities in Armenia in the context of viticulture.

Vahé has an MBA from the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland. He lives with his wife in Geneva, where they have become grandparents of a grandson and granddaughter.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2006.

Nadia Gortzounian enjoyed a 28-year career in the pharmaceutical industry at Merck & Co. in France, spending the last 15 years of her tenure as Business Unit Director for primary care products. Since 2014, she has been collaborating on an M&A and startup development boutique firm in Paris with her son Armen Verdian.

Appointed president of AGBU France in October 2015, she currently serves as its co-president with Stéphane Petrossian. She also served as President of AGBU Europe from 2016-2023. Nadia has spearheaded the development of strategic objectives for France and all of Europe, successfully implementing key initiatives. Among them: developing leadership programs such as Goriz; establishing new AGBU chapters, including Germany in 2018; and creating a successful Performing Arts Department on the continent in collaboration with AGBU Armenia. In 2016, she shepherded the AGBU France Foundation.

A native of Marseille, Nadia graduated in Medicine from Paris VII University; she also holds an ExecMBA from HEC Paris. Long involved in the Armenian community in France, she is Treasurer and General Secretary of CCAF (Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France), and a member of the board of the Bullukian Foundation in Lyon. Nadia lives in Paris where she enjoys spending time with her three grandchildren.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2019.

Vartkess Knadjian is the Chief Executive of Backes & Strauss, the world’s oldest diamond company established in 1789. Under his leadership over the past 35 years, Backes & Strauss has been transformed from a small diamond procurement office into one of the world’s finest jeweled timepiece creators.

Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1955, Vartkess was fully immersed into the art of watchmaking at a young age through his father, Antranig Knadjian, who was appointed as the official watchmaker to the Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie. In his early childhood, Vartkess relocated to the UK and pursued studies at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he graduated with a BSc. (Econ) honors degree in International Relations in 1976.

That same year, Vartkess joined Backes & Strauss, then based in Antwerp, Belgium; a mere six years later, he was appointed head of that office. Since 1982, Vartkess has grown the company, establishing Backes & Strauss as an unrivalled reference within the international diamond world. In 2006, Backes & Strauss joined forces with the Franck Muller Group.

Other than running, playing golf and cooking, Vartkess has dedicated a large portion of his free time to the Armenian community and AGBU in particular, serving as president of AGBU Belgium from 1992 to 2005. He has also been closely involved with Armenia since 1993, when he first started working with the Shoghakan diamond factory. To bring together Armenian jewelers from around the globe, he and Pierre Akkelian founded the Armenian Jewelers’ Association and set up the Armenian Jewelers’ Foundation to raise funds for research on the history of Armenian jewelers, traders and stone merchants. Today, Vartkess is a partner in Lori Diamond Factory in Nor Keghi, Armenia, and is further tapping into the IT capabilities of the country as business moves more online.

Vartkess and his wife Sylvia Serabian have two adult children, Taline and Levon.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2019.

Ari Libarikian is a Senior Partner with McKinsey & Company in New York, NY. Ari leads Leap by McKinsey globally, McKinsey’s global business building practice. In this role, he helps organizations develop holistic and well-structured approaches to business-building, combining the experimental nature of start-ups with the operational excellence of corporates to create strong, digital businesses and drive outsized sustainable, inclusive growth.

Some examples of his recent client work include the following:

• Helping a leading hospitality player launch and scale a new digital business
• Supporting a life insurer develop an analytics-as-a-service business
• Helping an industrials company build and scale a SaaS business

Previously, Ari led McKinsey’s digital practice in insurance, helping clients capture significant value through technology and data, as well as the Firm’s digital practice in the Northeast.  Ari is also currently on the global committee that makes recommendations on Senior Partner elections.

Prior to joining McKinsey, Ari held various positions at Nortel Networks, and Bell Labs, focused on developing and testing next-generation telecommunications technologies. Ari holds a bachelor’s degree in Honors Electrical Engineering from McGill University, and a Masters of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Ari grew up on four different continents, moving from Athens to Dubai, to Cairo and then to Montreal, before relocating to the US for graduate school. Ari and his wife Luba live in New York City with their four children.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2019.

Ani Manoukian is a corporate attorney in New York with a professional focus on franchise mergers and acquisitions in the telecommunications and cable industry. She also provides non-profit advisory services to organizations in the New York metropolitan area. Ani has a long history of service and leadership positions within AGBU, working with both longstanding programs and new initiatives. She has made significant impact on the global Young Professionals movement by leading the inception of AGBU FOCUS and serves on its advisory board to this day. She continues to dedicate her expertise to the development of AGBU’s global operations including corporate governance, office structure and human resources, marketing and fundraising management.

Ani earned her bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in French and child development with a certificate of public health and her law degree from Fordham University School of Law.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2015.

Yeghiche comes from a proud tradition of charitable giving to Armenian causes and of fostering support for many other worthy charities. In August 2009, he joined HSBC Bank group in the UK. Following a promotion in 2010, he was transferred to the Special Credits team of HSBC New York, focusing on restructuring non-performing corporate debt, where he remained until 2013.

He then joined his family office, working from London until he moved to Pennsylvania to take on a more direct role in the evolution of their local businesses. He is currently Executive Vice President at Parx Casino and as the youngest executive, he has sought to make the business more attractive to a younger demographic, as well as thinking of new ways of enhancing the work experience for their employees. In 2021, he launched a corporate matching gift program, to encourage employees to donate to a charity of their choice, as well as providing cash donations for any volunteering work carried out by employees.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2021.

Lori Muncherian is the Executive Vice President of New Spark Holdings, Inc. and serves on the board of directors of the TF Educational Foundation. She has an extensive background in human resources and management. From 1986 to 2006, Lori served as the Executive Vice President and partner of Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers, Inc., a retail chain of premium home appliance, kitchen and bath fixture showrooms in Southern California. She is also a member of the Leadership Council for the University of Southern California’s Institute of Armenian Studies and serves in various capacities for several other non-profit organizations. Lori is a graduate of the University of Southern California where she earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2015.

Levon Nazarian, MD is Professor of Radiology and Chief of Musculoskeletal Imaging at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a fellow of the American College of Radiology, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound. Levon is Editor Emeritus of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine and has served on the editorial boards of multiple other medical journals. He is co-founder of the Ultrasound Training Centre of Armenia at the Yerevan State Medical University. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Cornell University Medical College. Levon resides in Cherry Hill, New Jersey with his wife Claudia. They have three adult children: Matthew, Daniela, and Gregory.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2006.

Lena Sarkissian is a member of the asset management team at the real estate development company Byron Hill Corporation and the director of program development at the Zoryan Institute’s International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights. She is also a member of the advancement committee at the Toronto French School, the co-chair of the board of directors at the contemporary dance company Dancemakers and a member of the board of directors of AGBU Armen-Ontario. Lena holds a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and French from the University of California, Los Angeles and a master’s degree in speech and language pathology. She also earned a certificate in strategic leadership at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2015.

Vasken Yacoubian is Managing Director and owner of Leon A. Yacoubian Contracting, as well as the Chief Technical Officer and partner of Puzant & Leon Yacoubian Trading and Contracting based in Syria.

He has a long history of involvement within the Armenian community of Syria, particularly AGBU, where he served as chairman of the AGBU AYA Damascus Executive Committee.  Serving in various capacities, Vasken is currently the president of AGBU Armenia, and represents AGBU on the boards of several institutions, including the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia (APRI Armenia), AGBU Armenian Virtual College (AVC), American University of Armenia (AUA), the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Foundation, Armenian Spiritual Revival Foundation, and City of Smile Foundation.  He has also been a member of the Public Council of Armenia since 2018.  He is a recipient of the Medal of Appreciation of the President of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the Medal of Honor of the Republic of Artsakh.

Vasken holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  Born in Damascus, Syria, he currently resides in Yerevan, Armenia with his wife Sylvia and their daughter Hilda and son Levon.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2006.

Yervant Zorian is the Chief Technologist and Fellow of Synopsys Corporation, and President of Synopsys Armenia. A life fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, he serves as the President of its Council on Test Technology and as the Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the Journal on Design and Test of Computers. He authored more than 400 scientific papers, five books and holds 47 US patents. In 2005, Dr. Zorian was honored with the prestigious Industrial Pioneer Award and the TTTC Lifetime Contribution Medal. He is also the recipient of the National Science Medal of the Republic of Armenia. A lifetime member of AGBU, he currently serves as the chair of AGBU Silicon Valley Chapter and the Founding President of AGBU Armenian Virtual College (AVC). He is also cofounder and board chair of APRI Armenia and Hye Connect and a Trustee of the American University of Armenia. Dr. Zorian holds a Masters in Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California, a PhD in Electrical Engineering from McGill University, and an MBA from Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Born in Aleppo, he currently resides in Santa Clara, California.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2008.

Dr. Eric Esrailian is a physician, Emmy-nominated film producer, investor, and entrepreneur. He is actively involved in philanthropic efforts connecting health, human rights, education, and the arts. He is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Medicine and the Chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In 2012, the School of Medicine awarded Dr. Esrailian the Lincy Foundation Chair in Clinical Gastroenterology. He attended the University of California at Berkeley and graduated with a major in integrative biology and a minor in English. He subsequently graduated from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Southern California. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at UCLA where he also obtained a Master of Public Health degree with the assistance of an NIH sponsored training grant. He is a graduate of the Executive Program in Management from the UCLA Anderson School of Management where he serves on the Board of Advisors. Dr. Esrailian is also a part of the leadership of several philanthropic organizations including, but not limited to, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors of the Hammer Museum, the Board of Directors of the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and the Board of Directors for XPRIZE. He is closely involved in strategic planning efforts for UCLA Health, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and for the entire university. In 2017, the university designated Esrailian as a UCLA Optimist -- among its notable alumni and faculty dedicated to solving the world’s problems. In 2021, he was also honored by Pope Francis at the Vatican with the Benemerenti Medal for his humanitarian activities around the world.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2016.

Armen Sarkissian served as the President of the Republic of Armenia since 2018-2022. He is also the founding President of Eurasia House International in London, which fosters critical dialogue and cooperation among political and business leaders, and was the former Prime Minister of Armenia from 1996-1997. He established the first Armenian Embassy in the West, in London in 1991, and served as the Armenian Ambassador to the United Kingdom for multiple terms. Armen is also Vice Chairman of the East West Institute and holds honorary and executive positions in numerous international organizations, including the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago; International Economic Alliance; and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, among others. Additionally, he is the founder of several significant investment companies, which invest in major business projects, especially in the energy, high technology, telecom and real estate sectors.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2016.

Sam Simonian is an entrepreneur, engineer and global philanthropist. He became a co-founder of Inet Technologies, a telecommunications company specializing in Network Management and Business Operational Solutions, in 1989 and was selected Entrepreneur of the Year in 1994 by Inc. magazine, Ernst & Young, and Merrill Lynch. He also received the distinguished Ellis Island Medal of Honor in May 2000, and was the recipient of Armenia's highest award, the Anania Shirakatsi Medal, for his considerable contribution to the preservation of the Armenian identity, services to the Motherland, as well as contributing greatly to the friendship between the Republic of Armenia and foreign states. Currently, Simonian serves on AGBU‘s Council of Trustees, and chairs the boards of the TUMO Foundation and Teach for Armenia.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, and established in Dallas, Texas, Sam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electric Engineering from the University of Texas in Arlington. Simonian, along with his wife, is the founder and developer of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, which started in Yerevan in 2011, and has since expanded throughout Armenia, Europe and just made its entry to the US in Los Angeles. 

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 2000.

Sinan Sinanian is the President of Sinanian Developments, Inc., which is engaged in real estate development, property management and construction. Active within AGBU since his youth, he has served as Chairman of the Board of AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Los Angeles since 1991. Sinan was one of the founders of AGBU Vatche & Tamar Manoukian High School in Pasadena, and has been its chairman since its inception in 2006. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of Ararat Home of Los Angeles since 1990, as well as a board member of the American University of Armenia, chairman of United Armenian Fund, and chairman of House of Armenia in Glendale, California. Sinan is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the American University of Beirut. Born in Zahle, Lebanon, he and his wife Angele Sarkissian have been residing in Los Angeles, California since 1983.

Elected to the AGBU Central Board of Directors in 1992.