Dr. Sarkis Yeretsian was born in Aleppo, Syria. After completing his MD degree from St. Joseph medical faculty in Beirut, Lebanon, he pursued a specialization in general surgery at Sherbrooke University, P.Q. Canada. In 1994, Dr. Yeretsian contributed the opening of the first advanced laparoscopic center in Armenia at the Malatia Medical Center in Yerevan. After actively taking part in the successful fundraising activities of the Armenian Medical Quebec Association for this purpose, he travelled to Armenia with a dedicated team to ensure the delivery of surgical equipment. There, he also performed the first colectomy by laparoscopy in the Caucasus after the collapse of the USSR. A professional dedicated to innovation in the field of surgery, Dr. Yeretsian has been actively pursuing the development of new surgical techniques and instruments in different surgical specialties. He has notably patented a technique of surgical removal of hemorrhoids in the U.S. and applied for patenting many more innovative methods.

Sonia Bardakjian is an associate in the business law group of the Montreal office of McCarthy Tétrault LLP. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, domestic and cross-border transactions, corporate reorganizations and capital market transactions. Prior to joining McCarthy Tétrault, she acted as legal counsel for Cirque du Soleil, a multinational entertainment company, where she handled internal legal matters ranging from negotiating various commercial contracts to intellectual property and privacy issues.

Mr. Sevak  Demirdjian,  is  the  Vice-president of  Operations  and  Project  Management  for  Canada’s  foremost consulting  firm  on  Roads  &  Bridges  and  Infrastructure  business  units.  He  has  over  15  years  of  experience  in transportation  engineering,  design  and  construction  of  bridges,  commercial  and  industrial  building projects throughout Canada and overseas. Mr. Demirdjian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, and a Master’s degree in  Structural Engineering from McGill University. Since 2000, he has worked as a Lead Technical Design expert in  bridges and building projects and has published several technical papers.  Throughout the years, he has lead large  multi-disciplined engineering teams. Strategizing, driving individual & team performances are a  few of his key  strengths contributing to his performance. As an expatriate in the Middle Eastern regions, he has built engineering teams and managed their efficiency on international projects and missions. He is a member of several Engineering  professional associations, promoting and contributing innovative engineering technologies to structural and civil  engineering domains.

Karen was born in Aleppo, Syria, and holds a bachelor’s degree in
Economics and Commerce. She graduated in 2012 from the Faculty of
Economics in Syria. Due to the conflict in her home country, she moved
to Montréal, Canada in late October 2017.

Karen completed one year of francization studies while simultaneously working in customer service at Corbeil Appliances for two years, gaining valuable experience in the Canadian labor market. She pursued her studies in Financial Services at Collège Bois-de-Boulogne. This training equipped her with the qualifications needed to secure a position at the National Bank as a Financial Services Representative.

Karen is multilingual and continuously invests in developing her language skills. She enjoys learning new languages, drawing, and practicing sports.

Noushig was born in Aleppo, Syria. After completing a university degree in Business Administration with high grades, she moved to Lebanon in 2012 due to the war back in Syria. December 2015, she moved to Montreal, Canada. Noushig studied English Topel at University of Montreal, after graduation she continued her education in Human resources management as a mini-MBA degree obtained 92% overall. In 2018 she went to Vanier College and studied English for professionals under business level. After graduation Noushig decided to work at one of the most famous call center companies, Alorica. In Jan 2019 she was hired as a customer service representative. During that time, she studied her domain specializing in the French Language at the University of Cegep du vieux – Montreal Canada. After gaining experience for seven years, Alorica’s management decided to give Noushig the Team Leader position for US and CA agents. Moving forward Noushig plans to continue her education in HRM at Concordia or McGill University.

Joseph Takhmizdjian is a partner in the Montréal office of Borden Ladner Gervais, where he handles tax-related matters. Before joining BLG, he worked as a chartered accountant and auditor for businesses operating in various sectors, including the public sector. He provides tax advice to clients, their accountants or other professionals on the various tax implications of transactions in which they are involved or planning to undertake. He also handles issues dealing with commodity taxes and represents clients in tax disputes with tax authorities.

Joseph has completed the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants’ In-Depth Tax Courses (Parts I, II and III), as well as its In-Depth GST/HST Course.

He is fluent in English, French and Armenian.

Born and raised by her own Armenian family, Anita is a proud mother herself blessed to experience the greatest joy in life of watching her son prosper. SOAR’s humanitarian effort and mission to provide disadvantaged Armenian Orphaned children the profound support for their development, is a cause very close and dear to Anita’s heart. Anita holds a Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) Licence in Chemical Engineering. She has been awarded first place for her Thesis paper at the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE) Canada Affiliate and is a current member of ISPE. As a professional, she has over 23 years of expertise in the areas of Validation and Compliance with the regulations of various regulatory agencies such as Health Canada, FDA, EMEA, ICH within the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology fields across Canada, USA, and Europe. She has lead initiatives in support of both sterile and solid dosage form manufacturing facilities. Essential roles throughout her career as an Auditor, Manager, Technical Leader, Defender in Internal, Client & Regulatory Audits, and Independent Consultant have broadened her strength and desire to lead and is passionate about contributing to SOAR with her vast experience and enthusiasm. Anita enjoys music, travelling, baking, and spending time with her family.

Vanig immigrated to Canada with his family from Beirut Lebanon. His profession is in jewellery design, and he is the owner of Lorne Park Jewellers. Vanig is very involved in the community; he is the Chairman of the Armenian Jewellery Association, Chairman of St. Vartan Armenian Church of Mississauga, and a board member of the Armenian Business Network. His hobbies and interests are Psychology, Philosophy, Religion, and skiing in the Alps. Vanig is joining SOAR with passion to help and enrich the livelihood of the Armenian orphans who are deprived of the care and love of their parents. Vanig’s mother was brought up in Karen Jeppe orphanage of Danish establishment in Aleppo Syria. For this reason, he feels obligated and is compelled to make a difference.

With over 10 years of experience working in governmental and non-governmental organizations, Sarah brings her project management background and passion for charitable causes to SOAR Toronto.

In her work life, she has led multi-million-dollar campaign fundraisers for the United Way, local food banks, and a variety of health and wellness charities across Canada.

In her volunteer time, she has been active in the Armenian community. This includes helping launch the first ever Canadian Armenian Community Services Centre in Toronto, a non- profit that expanded after-school arts and social programs to hundreds of youth and newcomers.

Sarah enjoys spending quality time with her family, watching sports, and a good laugh.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another”. Charles Dickens

Inessa Manukyan is a digital marketing strategist, entrepreneur, and personal branding advocate. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s in Communications from the American University of Armenia. As the Founder & CEO of LEADIN Personal Branding Agency, she helps professionals and executives enhance their presence on LinkedIn and beyond. Previously, she served as the Head of Digital Marketing at Viva, Armenia’s leading telecom operator, where she helped to establish the company’s digital marketing section and launched its first audio podcast series. Beyond her professional work, Inessa is actively engaged in global education and youth empowerment. She has participated in international academic programs in the Czech Republic and Austria contributing to initiatives that foster leadership and cross-cultural collaboration. Inessa has authored a “TOEFL iBT Crash Course: A Personal Guidebook”, supporting students and educators in test preparation. Inessa has traveled to over 20 countries continuously expanding her perspective on culture, innovation, and human connection. She is fluent in English, Russian, and Armenian, currently learning Italian. In her free time, she enjoys skiing and cooking.

Sophie Danielyan is a Visual Communication Specialist and Designer. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in European Languages and Communication from Yerevan State University. She has led creative projects as a Lead Visual Communication Specialist at IDBank and Idram Payment System, where she successfully led creative projects from concept to execution, integrating strategic communication with compelling visual narratives.

During her professional experience at WELL PR Agency, Sophie collaborated with numerous non-profit organizations. She played a key role in enhancing their visual representation across multiple platforms and contributed to the planning and execution of impactful events.

Her passion for storytelling, combined with her expertise in marketing design, drives her commitment to advancing SOAR’s mission and amplifying the Vancouver chapter’s outreach and impact.

Born and raised in Ontario with a full Armenian background, Loucas is starting to follow the paths of his mother Anita Koundakjian to make a difference in children’s lives in Armenia. As the president of SOAR Toronto junior chapter, Loucas has joined SOAR with gratitude to give to the children in Armenia who are less fortunate. Loucas is attending a French school and speaks French, English, Armenian and introductory level German and Spanish. His interests are sports, video games, traveling, watching movies with his family and baking. He has a very creative mind hoping he can use it in order to engage others to raise money for the SOAR charity.

Garbis Garabetian is the great and passionate vice president of the SOAR Toronto junior chapter. Garbis currently attends Appleby college in grade ten. He was born and raised in Oakville where he currently lives. Some of his hobbies include playing soccer, and basketball. Garbis can speak Armenian, French, English, introductory Arabic, German, Mandarin and Spanish. He is a team worker who is devoted to helping Armenians all around the world.

Being raised in a full Armenian household, Lilia is a young individual driven by a deep passion for her culture. Her interests include music and dance which she has been practicing since she was 3. She enjoys science and math and leads the STEM club at her school. Lilia has always felt a strong connection to her Armenian heritage. Her desire to make a difference within her Armenian community is fueled by her unwavering dedication and love for her cultural roots. With a positive mindset and an outgoing personality, Lilia aims to engage others in the SOAR charity by being the Public Relations Advisor and helping children in Armenia.

Meet Gabriel, a passionate member for the well-being and empowerment of Armenian children, dedicated to making a positive impact through his involvement with SOAR. Born and raised in Oakville Ontario, with a deep appreciation for their Armenian heritage, Gabriel recognized the immense challenges faced by many Armenian children in various aspects of their lives. Gabriel attends Holy Trinity High School in Oakville and speaks English, French and Arabic. Some of Gabriel’s interests are Sports (Basketball and Soccer), Travelling, Cooking and Watching movies with his family. He hopes he can bring his creative ideas to the table and help raise money for the SOAR charity.