Western Digital completes Flash business separation move

Western Digital has completed the separation of its Flash business, a move marking a significant milestone for the company.

This announcement comes on the heels of Western Digital's recent Investor Day event, where the company outlined its future strategy and vision for enabling customers to tap into the value of their data. Chief Executive Officer Irving Tan emphasised this direction in his blog post, "The Future of HDDs Begins Now," which discusses the expansive potential of hard disk drives (HDDs) in the context of evolving data demands.

Highlighting the impact of artificial intelligence on data storage, Tan noted, "As AI accelerates and impacts industries around the world, and as companies generate and store more data, HDD exabyte shipments are expected to increase." He detailed the benefits of Western Digital's approach, saying, "Our differentiated portfolio of scalable capacity ensures that our customers have expanding capacity points to achieve maximum value today, particularly as the industry moves to HAMR technology."

The CEO also expressed optimism about growth opportunities beyond traditional HDD markets. "Beyond HDD, our teams are exploring new growth opportunities that leverage our core capabilities in magnetics and materials science, and with their dedication, the possibilities for future applications of our technologies are truly endless," Tan remarked.

Tan further praised the dedication of Western Digital's personnel across various functions, stating, "From our incredible engineers, who spend their time designing, testing, and exploring how WDC can push boundaries with HDD technology, to our factory workers, who are dedicated to building the best HDD products, our workforce is one that has a singular focus – to deliver the best."

Following the separation, Western Digital's executive team will include Irving Tan as Chief Executive Officer, with Wissam Jabre serving as Chief Financial Officer until February 28, 2025, after which Don Bennett will take over as Interim Chief Financial Officer. The team also comprises Scott Davis as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Vidya Gubbi as Chief of Global Operations, Katie Watson as Chief Human Resources Officer, Cynthia Tregillis as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Sesh Tirumala as Chief Information Officer, and Shantnu Sharma as Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer. The company is also in the process of hiring a Chief Product Officer.

The Western Digital Board of Directors includes newly-appointed Chair Martin Cole, outgoing Chair Matthew Massengill, Kimberly Alexy, Tunç Doluca, newly-appointed director Bruce Kiddoo, Roxanne Oulman, Stephanie Streeter, and Irving Tan.

The company has encouraged those interested in more details about the separation to visit their Financial Information, SEC Filings page on their Investor Relations website, and for information on the newly separated Flash business, to refer to a dedicated site.