It’s been a big day for executive-related announcements from Apple, as earlier today the company announced design head Jony Ive is leaving the firm. Now comes word that the Cupertino firm is naming 24-year Apple veteran Sabih Khan senior vice president of Operations.
Kahn has played an important role in delivering Apple’s products to the the public since the late 1990s, and has led product operations and supply chain functions. He will continue to report to Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.
Khan’s new role will be to be in charge of Apple’s global supply chain, ensuring product quality and overseeing planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics and product fulfillment functions, as well as Apple’s supplier responsibility programs that protect and educate workers at production facilities around the world.
Apple CEO Tim Cook treats Apple workers with “dignity and respect.”
“Sabih leads our Ops team with heart,” said Cook. “He and his entire worldwide team are committed to delivering unmatched experiences to our customers, treating workers everywhere with dignity and respect, and protecting the environment for future generations.”
Apple says their operations team drives scale across the global supply chain and accelerating manufacturing innovation, including developing and scaling a new aluminum alloy that enables the use of 100 percent recycled aluminum in MacBook Air and Mac mini enclosures without compromising quality. The team also supports Apple’s environmental initiatives by partnering with suppliers to propel green manufacturing, helping conserve resources and protect the planet.
Before joining Apple’s procurement group in 1995, Khan worked as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader at GE Plastics. He earned bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).