Irina Seylanyan sits down with Lara Tcholakian to discuss the role and importance of being a motivational and authentic leader, and the qualities that she developed with time and experience to set the stage as the first Armenian national, and woman, to take on the role of CEO of HSBC Armenia. She shares the measures she took to help motivate her organizational staff to maintain a sense of purpose in a psychologically safe work environment, during and after the war in Artsakh. Together they explore the role that her parents and grandparents have had on her and the values that she inherited from the infamous Seylanov Brothers as part of her historical legacy, from Kars to Tbilisi, and then to Yerevan. Finally, Irina shares her personal and professional motivations, as a CEO and as a parent, to contribute to the well-being of her community, to create value for her organization and her nation, and to leave a strong legacy especially for her son, Tigran.
About Irina Seylanyan
Irina Seylanyan is the Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Bank Armenia CJSC since March 2020, the first Armenian national to occupy this position. She has held various executive positions within HSBC Group, including in Armenia, Malta and the United Kingdom. Ms. Seylanyan has served as a Non-Executive Director on several boards and is currently the Chairperson of the board of trustees of the Insurance Foundation of Servicemen (1000plus), and board member of Orran and of AmCham. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning and execution, business development, organizational restructuring and board and regulatory engagement. Ms. Seylanyan is a Chartered Certified Accountant (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants UK) and an ACCA Fellow. She obtained her degree in Automated Systems of Information Processing and Management from the Armenian State Engineering University of Armenia.
Program overview
In a new open setting, Lara deconstructs inherited cultural and historical narratives, memories, life lessons and experiences from change catalysts. Her guests reflect on the stories, people, events and mindsets that have shaped their professional and personal lives, enabling them to create a more mindful life.
