Trust and reach across the globe

 

• In one way or another, Ameriabank is involved with every large-scale corporate project in Armenia
• But it also considers MSMEs the backbone of Armenia's economy

With a loan portfolio of around $4.5 billion, Ameriabank is a major force in Armenia's financial landscape.

As the largest lender in Armenia, with proven digital infrastructure and risk management, Ameriabank is a trusted partner for many diaspora Armenians who prefer to save and invest in Armenia. The chairman of its management board and CEO, Artak Hanesyan, explains how it has earned this position.

How has Ameriabank evolved to become one of Armenia’s leading financial institutions? Ameriabank isn’t just a business, it is an environment built around people. From the very beginning, we differentiated ourselves by placing customers at the center of everything we do. We were among the first in Armenia to introduce a genuinely customer-centric approach to banking — one based on listening carefully, understanding real needs and pain points and designing products and services around them.

Over time, this mindset evolved into a strong focus on digitalization. We invested early in omnichannel distribution, digital products and ecosystem development to make banking seamless and accessible. Digital banking, for us, is not just about efficiency — it is a tool for inclusion and integration. Today, digital solutions allow us to serve customers across Armenia and abroad, including diaspora representatives and international investors. Despite serving more than 30% of Armenia’s adult (15+) population, we operate only 28 branches, which reflects the broad availability of our digital services across the country.

How has Ameriabank's culture evolved?

Ameriabank’s cultural evolution has mirrored its institutional growth. When I joined the bank, the team consisted of about 30 people. Today, there are more than 2,400. Scaling the organization while maintaining alignment, trust and a shared sense of purpose has required deliberate effort. A few years ago, we revisited and redefined our mission and values, articulating a clear ambition to grow beyond a traditional bank and become a technological space centered on all stakeholders.

Our culture is merit-based and inclusive, recognizing the unique value each team member brings. We invest heavily in communication, onboarding, training, leadership development and internal dialogue to ensure our values are consistently lived across the organization.

Which sectors does the bank operate in?

We are a universal bank and are actively engaged across all sectors of the Armenian economy and household needs. Being the largest lender to both the corporate and retail sectors entails immense responsibility that we happily undertake. The largest sectors in our balance sheet include construction, industrial agriculture and trade.

When assessing major corporate or infrastructure projects, we apply rigorous evaluation metrics. Key considerations include the investor’s reputation, experience and execution capacity, as well as the project’s commercial viability and its contribution to economic development. Equally important is transparency and adherence to ESG principles. Both the investor and the project must meet Ameriabank’s minimum ESG standards, which are aligned with internationally recognized frameworks.

As the largest lender in Armenia, what factors do you consider when designing solutions to support MSMEs

MSMEs are a key focus for Ameriabank. We see them as the backbone of our economy and an absolute necessity for balanced development of the regions. Our services are tailored to cover the needs of MSMEs and we periodically conduct research to understand the needs of our customers better. We also offer tailored financial products developed with support from many international financial institutions. These include programs for women-led businesses, green and clean-energy SMEs, youth financing, and others. We are very proud to enjoy the trust of more than 30% of newly opened businesses that are opening their first account with us.

We enjoy the trust and partnership of many development institutions and over the course of the last year we have closed transactions worth about $800 million.

In general, these partnerships support sustainable investments, strengthen MSMEs and contribute to long-term economic resilience and inclusive growth. Ameriabank runs a range of programs supporting women in business, a segment that is growing steadily. Women-owned and women-managed companies tend to demonstrate a high level of responsibility and transparency in their relationships with banks, making them a valued client segment. A particular focus is put on regional clients and new borrowers.

What message would you like to share with U.S. investors, especially with the Armenian diaspora in America?

Armenia offers a high-quality living and business environment. Major international cards — Visa, MasterCard and selected American Express — are widely accepted, digital wallets such as Apple Wallet function seamlessly and ATMs and merchant infrastructure provide convenient, reliable service across the country. While the past years have been challenging, with greater stability returning to the region, new opportunities have opened up. Armenia, with its talented and highly educated workforce, strong medical system and growing tourism sector, is well positioned to attract investment and develop as a regional hub.