Afeyan Initiatives for Armenia (AIFA) Appoints Irina Seylanyan as Executive Director
Yerevan, Armenia, 26.06.26. Afeyan Initiatives for Armenia (AIFA) today announced the appointment of Irina Seylanyan as its new Executive Director. In this role, Ms. Seylanyan will lead the organization’s efforts to advance transformative initiatives that contribute to Armenia’s long-term prosperity, resilience, and global competitiveness. Ms. Seylanyan succeeds Talar Kanzanjian, who stepped down earlier in the year for personal reasons, and will continue in an advisory role.A financial services industry leader with more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience across Armenia and international markets, Ms. Seylanyan has built a career at the intersection of strategy, governance, and transformation. As Executive Director, she will oversee AIFA’s strategic program development, partnerships, and implementation across the organization’s portfolio, working closely with stakeholders in Armenia and throughout the global Armenian community.
“Irina brings a unique combination of leadership, vision, and deep commitment to Armenia’s future,” said Noubar and Anna Afeyan, Trustees of the Afeyan Foundation. “Her experience building partnerships, growing and leading complex initiatives makes her exceptionally well-positioned to guide our next chapter of impact. We are delighted to welcome her to this role.”
The Afeyans continued, “We are grateful for Talar’s leadership and are delighted she will continue with AIFA in an advisory role.”
Ms. Seylanyan was most recently CEO of HSBC Bank Armenia. Prior to this role, she held multiple leadership positions, including Head of Global Markets of HSBC Bank Malta and Head of Regulatory Risk Programs at HSBC Bank Plc (UK). Ms. Seylanyan has also served on several Boards and is currently Board Chair of the National Foundation of Servicemen Insurance, board member of Armenian Card, Armenia’s national cards system, and board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia (AmCham).
“It is an honor to join the Afeyan Initiatives for Armenia at such an important moment,” said Ms. Seylanyan. “I am inspired by the organization’s mission and its commitment to building a stronger future for Armenia. I look forward to working with our partners, supporters, and communities to expand our impact and help unlock Armenia’s extraordinary potential.”
About Afeyan Initiatives for Armenia
Afeyan Initiatives for Armenia (AIFA) is the Armenia-focused arm of the Afeyan Foundation, which was founded by Noubar and Anna Afeyan in 2000. AIFA is dedicated to building a more vibrant, resilient and prosperous Armenia by catalyzing Armenia’s educational, scientific, technological and cultural transformation. For more information, visit www.aifa.org.
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