Goriun Kechichian (1915-1990) was born in Malatia (Western Armenia) and died in Lisbon.

He worked closely with Kevork Essayan and Robert Gulbenkian. He is considered as one of the founders of the Armenian Communities Department. His activities and efforts were dedicated towards the development of Armenian schools in the Middle East. In 1964, he set up the Foundation’s aid program for Armenians.

He studied at the American University of Beirut (Lebanon). With the patronage of Calouste Gulbenkian, he started working at the Iraq Petroleum Company in 1938, until 1956, at which time he moved to Lisbon. Kechichian was the first Assistant Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and later Director of the Armenian Communities Department.