Grant Akopian, Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Converse Bank, and a member of the Board of Trustees of BACEE, took part as a keynote speaker in the panel discussion “Regional Bank Executives Roundtable (CEE/SEE/Caucasus/Central Asia): Key to Success,” held as part of BACEE’s 50th Anniversary Conference.
In his address, Mr. Akopian underscored the importance of international platforms like BACEE as bridges for knowledge exchange and partnership — spaces where financial leaders connect, collaborate, and shape sustainable growth across emerging markets.
He presented Converse Bank’s strong positioning within Armenia’s financial system — a leading universal bank with a dominant presence in retail and SME banking, and a recognized pioneer in digital transformation. Reflecting its achievements in innovation, Converse Bank was recently named Best Mobile Banking App Consumer Armenia by Global Finance magazine.
Speaking about Armenia’s dynamic economic expansion, Mr. Hakobyan noted that the Bank’s growth journey over the past years has been marked by three key challenges:
maintaining rigorous compliance amid rising cross-border money flows; managing capital effectively in a rapidly growing economy; and accelerating digital transformation to meet evolving customer expectations while ensuring cybersecurity.
“We approached these challenges not as obstacles, but as opportunities to strengthen our institutional foundation,” said Mr. Akopian. “Our strategy was to build a resilient bridge — one that supports growth, ensures stability, and connects our clients and the economy to new opportunities.”
Through significant investments in compliance systems and real-time monitoring, Converse Bank ensured the secure handling of a record volume of international transactions, expanding its correspondent network with 15 new financial institutions. At the same time, the Bank implemented advanced capital management frameworks to balance liquidity and profitability, maintaining asset quality at historically strong levels.
The Bank also accelerated its digital roadmap, enhancing the Converse Mobile application and core banking systems to serve a growing and increasingly digital customer base. This resulted in a marked increase in digital engagement and operational efficiency through automation.
Concluding his remarks, Mr. Akopian efined the essence of the Bank’s long-term vision:
“The key to success lies in building a resilient institution — one capable of withstanding volatility, turning challenges into opportunity, and transforming growth into sustainable prosperity.”
