Porsche to hire Pakistani-born former Mercedes tech chief to its board

Sajjad Khan, a Karachi-native and former chief technology officer at rival Mercedes-Benz, was announced on Thursday by Porsche AG, a luxury sports car manufacturer, as a member of the executive board with a focus on Car-IT.

According to international media, the decision was made as Volkswagen-owned Porsche prepared for a market listing. 

Khan, 48, spent more than six years working for Mercedes-Benz before August 2021. He served as BMW's Executive Vice President in addition to serving as Vice President of Digital Vehicle and Mobility for DaimlerChrysler AG. 

He most recently held the positions of chief technology officer and member of the divisional board of Mercedes-Benz Cars. He has also worked for BMW.

“We look forward to being able to welcome Sajjad Khan, a proven digital expert, to the Board and thereby to strengthen our IT team in a critical position,” Porsche AG executive board Chairman Oliver Blume said in a statement.

Khan, who was born in Pakistan and has German nationality, will become the eighth member of the executive board.

No decision has been taken yet on exactly when the supervisory board will sign off on Khan’s appointment or on when he will start, Porsche added.