Homecoming Honoree: Taimur Khan

A native of Pakistan, Khan had never even been to Texas when he chose ASU, though he had gained an affinity for Texas from his Air Force father who had completed some of his training in San Antonio. ASU recruiting efforts sealed the deal.

“Recruiting was mostly by mail,” Khan said. “But, I received a phone call from the office of Michael Ryan, assistant to the president, that was so warm and welcoming. The way they talked to me, I thought, ‘This is it.’ That’s also what I felt when I arrived.”

In addition to excelling academically, Khan was heavily involved in campus activities.

“I was the first international student RA,” Khan said. “I got to be part of the Student Senate. I got to be active in Homecoming and lead student campus tours. ASU gave me an amazing experience of being able to try everything in a great atmosphere.”

After graduating from ASU, Khan earned his master’s degree from Cornell University and entered the software engineering industry. He is now a senior vice president of international business development and strategy for Salesforce, a pioneering Fortune 500 cloud-based software design company with over 73,000 employees worldwide.

“ASU gave me an amazing experience of being able to try everything in a great atmosphere.”

Khan credits ASU with helping lay the groundwork for his success.

“I had a Carr Scholarship, and I maximized the opportunity to study computer science and mathematics,” he said. “ASU also gave me the flexibility to take a lot of business courses. Even though I’m still in the technology industry, the business and finance courses I took at ASU have really been key for me. ASU gave me that foundation.”

Now living in Reston, Virginia, Khan supports ASU as a member of the Alumni Association Advisory Board and by mentoring Honors Program students and guiding them toward internship and career opportunities.

“I’m involved with a large group of similar alumni who have done some amazing things,” Khan said. “The feedback we get keeps us enthusiastic and motivated. That emotional connection with ASU is just as important.”

For his incredible career accomplishments and commitment to ASU, the Alumni Association has named Khan its 2022 Distinguished Alumnus.

“I’m speechless,” Khan said. “My wife and I talked about visiting ASU after the pandemic and to really make it a priority so our kids can see it. This will be a great opportunity for that, so I’m quite thrilled about it.”