Ralph Yirikian
| Ralph Yirikian | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Ռալֆ Յիրիկյան November 16, 1967  Lebanon, Beirut
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| Nationality | Armenian |
| Known for | General Manager of VivaCell-MTS |
Ralph Yirikian (Armenian: Ռալֆ Յիրիկյան) is the General Manager of VivaCell-MTS (MTS Armenia CJSC), a 2005 startup which became Armenia's leading telecommunications operator and one of the top taxpayers.
Ralph Cesar Yirikian was born on November 16, 1967, in Beirut, Lebanon. With his younger twin brothers and sister, he grew up in Beirut. After civil war broke out in 1975, his childhood was marked by deprivation and scenes of violence..
Ralph Yirikian graduated from the American University of Beirut with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1991. In 1992, he received a second bachelor's degree from the university, this time in business administration.
From 1991 to 1992 Yirikian worked at AUB’s Jafet Library as an assistant in the Archiving and Documentation Department, and later as a computer operator at the Lebanese George Matta Establishment. In 1993, he worked as an executive secretary of Al Maha Group Holdings in Qatar, and as an Assistant management consultant at Nasser, Ghattas and Co, in Cyprus.
From 1994 to 1996 Yirikian was the Head of the Administration and Personnel Department at Al Maha Group Holdings. From 1997-1999 he was the head of the Administration and Customer Service Department at Nasser, Ghattas and Co., in Cyprus. Between 1999 and 2001 Yirikian was the head of the Administrative Unit at LibanCell Company in the Lebanon. From February 2002 till July 2004 he was the General Manager of Karabakh Telecom.
Ralph Yirikian is VivaCell-MTS General Manager since November 2004. Under his leadership, in a short period of time VivaCell-MTS grew into an exemplary enterprise with over 60% of market share, about 1300 employees and one of the largest taxpayers of Armenia.
VivaCell grew quickly and, in 2007, the company’s only shareholder, Fattouch Group, agreed to sell 80% of its shares to Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (MTS), the largest mobile operator in the Commonwealth of Independent States and Russian Federation. As of today, VivaCell-MTS (MTS Armenia CJSC) shareholders are 80% MTS Russian MTS Group (Mobile TeleSystems PJSC) and 20% - Lebanese Fattouche Group. After acquisition by MTS also Ralph Yirikian stayed as the General Manager of VivaCell-MTS. Under his leadership, the Company continued striving and achieved new heights: first in Armenia 3G rollout based on UMTS/HSPA (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System / High Speed Packet Access) technology, launched on April 17, 2009, was a defining moment for the Armenian population. The introduction of 3G opened up new opportunities for the business and everyday life in the country . Further, on the 20th of December, 2010, VivaCell-MTS launched the first 4G/LTE network in Armenia and the region
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