Ruben Vardanyan Changes the World One Country At a Time: Forbes
Where is George Clooney?
It was her turn for a question, and that’s what she asked. We were in Armenia at a private press briefing with three of the most powerful philanthropists in the world, and she used her question to ask where George Clooney was. The moderator politely reminded her that there were esteemed panelists in attendance, and we should take advantage of the opportunity to learn from their expertise. The moderator was right. There was a lot to learn.
Ruben Vardayan was one of these three men. Of Armenian descent, he cofounded the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, an award granted to a humanitarian effort that changes the world. Cool, I thought. Mr. Vardayan is doing good work. Little did I know how much this one man has accomplished in his lifetime, until several months later.
Fast forward five months, and I was in a cafe in Russia at the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo watching him. I observed him for 45 minutes. I was set to have a meeting with him at 9 am, and I arrived early. He was in another meeting. He was engaged. Many people came to his table. He hugged them, or shook their hands. He smiled and was gracious. People were excited to see him. I was with his assistant. She looked at him and said, “he is such a good man.” If you really want to know about a person, ask their assistant. She had great things to say. I could tell she was being honest.
I got one hour with Mr. Vardayan, and wrote as much as I could. He quickly ran me through some of his most proud professional achievements. He led Russia’s first investment bank, Troika Dialog. Together with his wife, he co-founded the United World College (UWC) Dilijan in Armenia. He invests in companies all over the world. Alongside with his wife, Veronika Zonabend, he founded RVVZ Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on global education, territory development, and the advancement of social entrepreneurship and Philanthropy infrastructure in post-Soviet countries. He also founded IDeA, Initiatives for the Development of Armenia, which is yet another charitable foundation. They are restoring historical landscapes, among other things. He is the President of LLC Vardanyan, Broitman and partners. The list goes on and on. I could spend this article talking about his achievements, but I wanted to dig deeper than his impressive resume. I wanted to know more about his mind. I wanted to know more about his work and vision beyond the biography and highlights. I needed another day, but in one hour, here is what I learned about this global leader and big thinker.
You have the power to change a country.
Ruben is literally rebuilding the Armenian economy with his leadership. His foundation is currently active in several projects. For example, they are restoring a monastery in Tatev, Armenia. This historical monument attracts tourists. But Ruben did not stop there, because he realized that people need to get to the monastery, so he built the cable leading to the monastery. This was a smart move. The amount of tourists went from 4,000 every year to more than 150,000 visitors a couple of years later. This restoration idea led to several millions of dollars in revenue. It led to more jobs. They also reinvested millions of those dollars into a women’s resource and empowerment center.
In Dilijan, Ruben and his wife Veronika built the United World College Dilijan. This put Armenia on the map for many different international students. The students appreciate Armenia and share their respect with their peers when they return home. It represents a regional movement, because it was the first UWC school in Eastern Europe. The students start innovative and service driven projects. They go to orphanages, they create socially conscious projects like Re-apaga which recycles electronic waste, and so the cycle of rebuilding continues.
You have the power to change a region.
Ruben did not stop with Armenia. He is also hyperfocused in Russia. In 2006, he cofounded the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO.This was Russia’s first private business school, and has graduated over 12,000 students in the last 10 years. He also created a company, Phoenix Advisors, which advises individuals and families on with their transition of wealth. Whether it’s the creation of a new or a structural change to their existing business, the decision to devote himself to philanthropy, family or just to a hobby, Phoenix Advisors is a trusted place to turn to navigate the complex world of wealth creation and transition. Finally, he created a philanthropy infrastructure, which increases the level of transparency and the effectiveness of charity funds to restore benefactors’ confidence in the sector. PHILIN (Philanthropy Infrastructure) is the project aimed at the professionalization of the charity industry in Russia.
