Fluent in Armenian and Russian, English is Narine Sarkissian’s third language, and she began her career as an educator after obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in history and English from the Armenian State Pedagogical University. She also served as a translator for Jon Huntsman Sr., the owner of the Huntsman Corporation, when he came to Armenia to work on a humanitarian project following a major earthquake in 1988. During this time, Mr. Huntsman inspired her to pursue a master’s degree, and a group of engineers from the company sponsored her to attend Brigham Young University in Utah. Coming to the United States in 1993, she completed her master’s degree in linguistics in 1994, which she followed with a Master of Business Administration, also from Brigham Young University, in 1996. Ms. Sarkissian has further been accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training.
Ms. Sarkissian returned to the Huntsman Corporation in 1998, having been offered a position as a corporate finance analyst to oversee the company’s $50 million endeavor in Armenia. When the company downsized in 2001, she took her severance package and made a shift into business ownership to put her Master of Business Administration to good use. Briefly operating a restaurant, she ultimately joined forces with her sister to establish the U.S. Ling Institute, an English as a second language school that provides intensive language training. When her sister moved to Virginia in 2013, Ms. Sarkissian became the sole owner of the school, along with her positions of president and chief executive officer.
Ms. Sarkissian has made a name for herself for her focus on student satisfaction regarding learning, methodology and delivery, as well as for her company culture and employee retention. In order to keep abreast of new developments in her field, she maintains professional affiliation with EnglishUSA, the Murray Area Chamber of Commerce, the TESOL International Association and NAFSA. For her excellence, she was named among the TOP 20 Outstanding Women CEOs by The Women Leaders Magazine in 2022. Having accomplished much over the course of her career, Ms. Sarkissian is proud of having excelled as a woman in a male-dominated industry in two separate countries. Furthermore, she finds it incredibly gratifying to be a source of empowerment and learning for others and would advise young and aspiring professionals to always be happy with what they do.
Having accomplished much over the course of her career, Ms. Sarkissian attributes much of her success to the excellent mentors she has had throughout the years. In particular, she cites Jon Huntsman Sr. as one of her most significant mentors, alongside her parents, both of whom were highly successful professionals. Her mother returned to school at a later age before excelling as a vice principal for nearly three decades, and her father was a World War II veteran and civil engineer who retired as the head of the transportation industry for all of Armenia. Ms. Sarkissian has also been inspired by her sister, who sought significant higher education opportunities, and her daughter, Kristine Manoukian, who has graduated from three universities, including Columbia University, and is now an attorney and equity partner at a firm in New York.
Beyond everything, Ms. Sarkissian hopes to leave a legacy as a modern-day immigrant with a proven track record of success. When she isn’t working, she is involved with a number of organizations in support of her home country of Armenia. A member of the Children of Armenia Charitable Fund, she has been the Utah state chair of the Armenian Assembly of America since 2016 as well as a volunteer with a Utah human rights nonprofit since 2005. Ms. Sarkissian also enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her 88-year-mother for whom she is the primary caretaker.