Stepan Z. Gishyan was born on 5 May 1964 in Yerevan. From 1971 to 1981, he has studied in the secondary school N 127 in Yerevan. From 1981 to 1986, he has continued his education in the Faculty of Finance and Accounting of the Yerevan National Institute of Economy, completing PhD.
From 1986 to 1995, he has worked in the RA Finance Ministry, Armeconombank and the RA Tax Inspectorate.
Since 1995, he has been involved in the creation and establishment of the Armenian Agricultural Cooperative Bank, becoming the co-founder and the CEO of the bank. Under his management, the program of crediting of farms has been successfully implemented.
In 2001, the president of Armenia awarded the Anania Shirakatsi medal to Stepan Gishyan for the outstanding work in the field of economy.
In 2002 in Paris, he was granted "General Management Training" E.F.Q.M. (CSP) international prestigious certificate in the field of management.
In 2003, due to the persistent efforts of Stepan Gishyan, the first by its nature leasing company, ACBA Leasing, was established in Armenia. He held the position of the Board Chairman, and the company attracted about 85% of the leasing market of Armenia in a short time.
In 2005, Stepan Gishyan was elected the Member-Vice President of the Executive Committee of the International Confederation of Agricultural Banks (CICA), which is a unique achievement in the financial and banking sector of Armenia by now (ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK is a member of the Confederation from 1996).
In the same year, he became a member of the Management Board of the State University of Economics of Armenia.
In 2006, due to the persistent efforts of Stepan Gishyan and the excellent performance of the bank under his management, the Armenian-French cooperation reached a new quality. By the acquisition of shares of "Armenian Agricultural Cooperative Bank” by the French financial giant Credit Agricole bank, "Armenian Agricultural Cooperative Bank” was restructured and renamed into "ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK" CJSC. Stepan Gishyan continued to hold the position of the Chief Executive Officer.
From 2006 to 2007, Stepan Gishyan has been the chairman of the Union of Banks of Armenia, ensuring the dialogue between the government and the Central Bank of Armenia in solution of the issues in the banking system and implementation of reforms in Armenia.
In the same year, under his chairmanship, Armenia Allians Francaise organization was established, which became one of the pioneers in spreading Francophonie in Armenia.
In 2009, he was elected a member of the RA Public Council, as well as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Agrarian University of Armenia.
In the same year, the French President awarded Stepan Gishyan the "Merit" national order.
In 2013, with his efforts and direct participation, the management company of "AMUNDI-ACBA ASSET MANAGEMENT" CJSC investment and pension fund was established, where he held the position of the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
In the same year, the Luxury journal recognized Stepan Gishyan “the Banker of the Year".
During his management years, ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK becomes the five-time winner of the nomination "Best Bank of the Year" by the prestigious magazine “The Banker” of Financial Times.
Stepan Gishyan passed away on 22 March 2014, at the age of 49, because of illness, causing deep pain and sorrow to his friends, relatives, employees, and thousands of people knowing him.
A man with a strong will, who would always reach his goals. "Accomplish the impossible", this was the slogan of Stepan Gishyan and he could really make it.
He had the exceptional power of bringing people together, inspiring with his ideas and confidence. Only such a person could establish a bank for a sector, where there was no material value system in terms of economics, and a new value system should be established. He was a team leader and he had chosen his favorite saying, "We will do it", to be the principle for his team.
Stepan Gishyan was distinguished with exceptional diligence. He worked hard, inspiring his team, and leading by example. He never rested on achievements, and always strove for self-improvement.
He loved his country, his nation very much, always said that the best place to live in is Armenia. He held sacred the traditions of his ancestors.
Family values had an immense importance for him. He loved his parents very much, and in general, was very respectful to old people.
He was also very cheerful and friendly. Though, at the first sight, he left the impression of being a very strict person, in reality, he had a fine sense of humour, and liked to make jokes. He was the soul of the company. Wherever he went, jokes, songs and laughter were surrounding him.
The greatest value for him was a human being, and he was a real man.
