FMD K&L is planning to open the first regional biotechnological center in Yerevan on April 27, 2018. Banks.am talked with Kirit Velani, the CEO of FMD K&L Armenia about the company’s 3-year experience and upcoming activities of the center in Armenia.

New business culture

At the entrance while waiting for my interviewee, the pictures on the wall caught my attention: the scene looked like an exhibition. While I was trying to figure out who could be the authors of little canvases with my amateur eyes, Kirit Velani, the CEO of the Armenian office of FMD K&L approached me with a smile on his face, presented himself and starting to answer to the questions raised in my mind one after another.

“These are mainly the works of Orran’s young painters,” he presented. “We are having many guests from international companies. They often pay for these paintings. The whole amount of money received from the sales is given to those children.”

FMD K&L’s 2 Yerevan offices provide maximum comfort to their over 150 employees.


I hear a child’s voice on the first floor of the H-shaped building of a new biotechnological center. I look to my right: colorful furnishing reveals that it is a kindergarten.

“These are the children of our employees. Parents can take a break having a dinner with children,” presents Kirit and adds: “I believe that people will have more kids if there is a better environment to grow them in.”

A wide cafeteria, resting room and library are also located on the first floor. “Corporate discussions are held in rooms allocated for it, but people have the right to have a break from work during the workday, talk about their everyday life around a cup of coffee for the sake of their work efficiency,” noted Kirit, presenting the resting room.

FMD K&L: 3 years in Armenia

“I am British and Indian by origins. I came to Armenia on January 2015 for a different reason, but here I discovered a new Cuba for me (I mean the big amount of doctors-Banks.am). Here you have wonderful medical infrastructures, huge intellect, but no one appreciates it,” tells Kirit Velani. “When I went back to China, I offered to use Armenia as a company’s new venue for Europe. 2 months later I opened the first office in Yerevan.”

Together we approach a huge map which hangs on the wall in the very first hall: company’s representation in the world are separated in yellow from Japan to South Korea, China, India, Great Britain, the USA and starting from 2015 Armenia.

FMD K&L is a large international contractual research organization, which provides services in pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, medical devices and in other spheres. One of U.S. largest pharmaceutical companies and a major medical equipment producer are among the FMD K&L main contractual partners.


“What do we do? Everyone knows IBM company that provides computer equipment and software. Now imagine IBM, but in pharmaceutical production starting from regulation affairs to pharmaceutical security, data management, biostatistics, clinical procedures and others,” Kirit Velani presents main frameworks of the company’s activities.

New biotechnological center will mostly focus on testing and research of first-aid care products such as shampoos and creams.  

“As an example, we will provide free shampoo to our customers, which they will use 1 month, then we will study the effect and will give the appropriate conclusion,” Kirit Velani comments.

Armenia’s time has came

From the first day of his activity in Armenia Kirit Velani is convinced that Armenia can become a large biotechnological center not only in CIS area, but also in the whole Europe. His adopted strategy is to concentrate the world’s best experience in Armenia.

“You have a big mental potential, which will be guided in a right way,” he says. “For example, if I make an announcement in India that I need 30 medical writers, with 3 and more years work experience, I will find 50 people with such qualification. There are fewer ready specialists in this sphere of Armenia. The arrows moved when I opened the first office. Now I have only 3 medical writers with 2-year work experience.”

To increase the quality of work of doctors and pharmacists in Armenia, numerous trainings have been organized in the Yerevan office of the company in collaboration with the Ministry of Healthcare of Armenia and the World Health Organization. In addition to the trainings by high-qualified specialists invited from abroad, company employees go to 6-month business trips and attend to experience exchange in company’s offices in China and the US.

“It is our child, and so far is the weakest, because there is no pharmaceutical, biotechnological industry. I have to import any type of knowledge and experience in this sphere. Therefore, it is our policy to grow and develop our specialists in a way, that our little child becomes an adult,” says Kirit.

FMD K&L Armenia implements work also in pharmaceutical and biotechnological spheres to invest modern experience in university programs. Now, Kirit says that they work with American University of Armenia, Mkhitar Heratsi State Medical University and Armenian-Slavonic University in the preparation of SAS programming specialists in pharmaceutical industry.

“We want to reach a certain level of biotechnology in Armenia that it will become a core business. And I take it seriously. Imagine that two people sitting in the laboratory can make Armenia visible on the map. There are bright minds here, but there are no opportunities. Now, believe that time for Armenia has come,” Kirit Velani concluded.

Victoria Andreasyan