The Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) announced the appointment of Suzanna Shamakhyan as Executive Director, effective January 1, 2025, following a decision by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The current CEO of the Foundation, Armen Orujyan, is joining the FAST Board of Trustees, continuing to contribute to the Foundation’s mission as a member of the Board.
Suzanna has been with FAST for over six years, initially serving as Vice President of Partnerships and later as Vice President of Strategic Programming. Her expertise, deep understanding of FAST’s mission, and strong leadership have been key in shaping and implementing several strategic initiatives, including the Generation AI program.
Dr. Noubar Afeyan, FAST co-founder and member of the Board of Trustees stated, "Suzanna is a capable
leader who has helped propel FAST toward its goal of building an ecosystem that drives innovation and scientific advancement in Armenia and beyond. She is well positioned to lead FAST into its next chapter of impact and will build on the strong foundation established by Armen Orujyan, who we thank for his dedication and commitment to FAST.”
Suzanna brings over 12 years of experience in education management and internationalization. Thanks to her efforts, institutional collaborations have been established between Armenia and various institutions across more than 40 countries. Throughout her career, Suzanna has implemented programs that have impacted over 17,000 young people and more than 500 educators and researchers. “I vividly recall the day FAST first announced its launch. I was truly inspired to see such influential people prioritizing the investment into Armenia’s future with such a bold, long-term vision. My years with Armen and the FAST team have been an incredible journey, and it is with a sense of high responsibility that I assume the role of FAST’s Executive Director. I deeply appreciate the trust and support extended by our entire community. With our collective efforts, I am confident FAST will enter a new phase of growth—strengthening our partnerships and expanding cooperation with the diaspora, and doing targeted
work to achieve our mission”; said Suzanna Shamakhyan.
As FAST enters a new phase of transformation and growth, its Board of Trustees will expand to welcome new members. Joining the existing board members – Dr. Noubar Afeyan, Artur Alaverdyan, Ingrid Hengster, and André Andonian – will be Raffi Festekjian, Managing Partner of NuArca, Talar Kazanjian,Executive Director of the Afeyan Initiatives For Armenia, and Dr. Armen Orujyan, the Founding CEO of FAST, who led the foundation during its first seven years of operation.
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The FAST Foundation was founded in 2017 with the aim of creating a favorable ecosystem to promote technological innovation and scientific advancement in Armenia. FAST develops and pilots programs with the potential for a long-term, sustainable impact on Armenia’s science, technology, and innovation ecosystem. Over its seven years of operation, the foundation has implemented 26 programs and impacted more than 15,000 direct beneficiaries.