The forum will examine Armenia's next phase of growth, investment at scale, diaspora capital and the generational transfer of family wealth
YEREVAN, Armenia, Nov. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Building Armenia's Next Phase of Growth, the first FT Live forum in the country, will take place on Thursday, 3 December 2026, at the Matenadaran, the Mesrop Mashtots Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, which preserves Armenia's written heritage. Hosted by the Financial Times in partnership with Wilco Wealth Management, the forum will bring together business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, economists and policymakers to examine the country's economic outlook, investment opportunities and the changing role of finance and private wealth.
Armenia has recorded several years of strong economic growth, benefiting from an influx of businesses, talent and capital, expanding trade and increased investment, with Fitch Ratings and Moody's both revising the outlookon its sovereign rating to positive in 2026. The focus is now shifting to what can sustain this development over the longer term.
Armenia's financial sector and growing technology industry are supporting new investment, while many of the families who built companies in the 35 years since the country's independence are now preparing to pass them on. This is changing how businesses and private wealth are financed, owned and invested.
Moderated by Jonathan Wheatley, News Editor, Markets News Desk, Financial Times, the discussions will address whether Armenia can translate recent economic momentum into higher productivity, stronger businesses and sustainable long-term expansion, and the changing mix of bank finance, private capital and international investment needed for Armenian companies to grow and compete at greater scale. Speakers will also discuss how diasporacapital and a generational transfer of family wealth could reshape investment, ownership and entrepreneurship.
Speakers include Martin Galstyan, Chairman, Central Bank of Armenia; Irina Belysheva, CEO, Wilco Wealth Management; Remon Zakaria, Head of Armenia, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); Samy Dwek, CEO, The Family Doctor; Karén Gyulbudaghyan, Founding and Managing Partner, Strategic Value Ventures; Yeva Hyusyan, CEO and Co-founder, Sololearn; Elena Khachvankyan, Chair, Armenian Institute of Directors (AIoD), and Board Member, IDBank; Marie Lou Papazian, CEO, TUMO Center for Creative Technologies; Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Author, Henry George Chair in Economics, Tobin College of Business, St. John's University; and Karina Arutyunova, Strategic Project Director, Wilco Wealth Management. The complete programme and speaker line-up will be shared closer to the forum.
"Armenia's next phase of growth is shaped by conversations like this one, where local and international perspectives meet on the same stage. The country's capital has been built by founders, families and a diaspora who stayed connected to Armenia. Many of them are now asking how to grow, how to invest for the long term and how to pass wealth on. We are proud that, at our initiative, these discussions, led with the editorial independence and rigour of the Financial Times, will be held in Armenia, at the Matenadaran, home to centuries of Armenian knowledge," said Irina Belysheva, CEO, Wilco Wealth Management.
More information about the forum and registration for in-person or online attendance are available on the forum's website: https://live.ft.com/building-growth-armenia/home
About Wilco Wealth Management
Wilco Wealth Management is an investment firm regulated by the Central Bank of Armenia. Founded in Yerevan in 2008 and rebranded in 2025, Wilco provides investment services to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices and corporate clients.
About FT Live
FT Live is the events division of the Financial Times.
For over 130 years, the Financial Times has been recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. FT Live builds on this legacy through events that examine critical trends and developments shaping industries, economies and the world we live in.
From bespoke briefings to award-winning annual summits, FT Live events deliver crucial business intelligence and the opportunity to make valuable connections, digitally and in-person, regionally and globally.
Media contact
Lena Gyulkhasyan, Head of PR, Wilco Wealth Management, l.gyulkhasyan@wilco.am
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/688c9bdf-4215-42d7-91a1-737391dea6a6
