Telecommunications and Charitable Entrepreneur Dr. Ehsanollah Bayat
A dedicated entrepreneur with decades of experience in the telecommunications industry in the United States and Afghanistan, Dr. Ehsanollah Bayat currently serves as the CEO and president of Telephone Systems International, Inc. (TSI). Based in Florida, the company operates Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC), a joint partnership between TSI and the Ministry of Communications in Afghanistan. Dr. Bayat's success with AWCC, currently Afghanistan's largest mobile services provider, has allowed him to devote much of his time and resources to charity and humanitarian projects. In 2006, he established the Bayat Foundation. Administered by Dr. Ehsanollah Bayat and his wife, Fatema, the foundation has been a major driver of charitable activities across the country.
The Bayat Foundation has been instrumental in helping foreign NGOs and individual donors work directly with Afghan people in order to direct aid where it is needed most. Important programs like Winter Aid, the Empowering Women Grant, and the Afghan Symposium for Humanitarian and Leadership Engagement have raised the profile of important regional causes while helping philanthropists from around the world make a bigger impact. Under Dr. Ehsanollah Bayat's direction, the foundation has also sought to address the country's underdeveloped infrastructure, especially in rural areas of Afghanistan, by building everything from deep water wells to schools.
Prior to his return to Afghanistan in 2001, Dr. Ehsanollah Bayat garnered experience in the American telecommunications industry. Today, in addition to serving as the head of AWCC and the Bayat Foundation, he also administers the country's most popular broadcast network, Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN), which has drawn millions of viewers with its blend of news, world sports, and major entertainment events. Dr. Ehsanollah Bayat has received numerous awards for his contributions to Afghanistan, including an honorary doctorate from the American University of Afghanistan and the Mahatma Gandhi Humanitarian Award.
