Western Digital Corp.announced that Mark Long, chief financial officer, chief strategy officer and president, Western Digital Capital, has decided he will step down from his current role to pursueopportunities as a private equity investor. Western Digital has begun a comprehensive search for a successor. To ensure a smooth leadership transition, Long will remain an active member of the company's leadership team through June 1, 2019. Long will remain chief financial officer until his departure or until a permanent successor is appointed.

Long has served as Western Digital's chief financial officer since 2016. Prior to that, he served as the company's executive vice president and chief strategy officer since February 2013. Additionally, Long has servedas president, Western Digital Capital, a strategic investment fund targeting innovative companies within the data infrastructure and broader technology industry aligned to Western Digital's strategic plan, since February 2013.

"On behalf of the Western Digital Board of Directors and leadership team, I want to thank Mark for his valued partnership and tremendous contributions to the company over the years," said Steve Milligan, Western Digital chief executive officer. "Mark has been instrumental in developing and overseeing the company's growth strategy, including our successful acquisitions and integrations of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and SanDisk. He helped create the foundation for Western Digital's leadership in today's data-driven world, and we are now well positioned to capitalize on the long-term opportunities associated with rapid growth in the volume and value of data. We wish Mark the best in his future endeavors and look forward to discussing the company's long-term vision and strategy on Dec. 4, 2018, at our 2018 Investor Day."

"It's been a privilege to serve Western Digital in a variety of financial and strategic leadership roles, and I'm proud of what we have accomplished," said Long. "We have built a comprehensive and flexible platform for growth and long-term value creation, and I want to thank my highly talented colleagues for their support. I am fully committed to ensuring a seamless transition, and excited to watch Western Digital build upon this strong momentum and drive the next phase of growth."