Seagate vs Western Digital: Founders, CEOs and History
Seagate was founded in 1979 by Alan Shugart, Finis Conner, Doug Mahon and is led by Dave Mosley. Western Digital was founded in 1970 by Alvin B. Phillips and is led by Irving Tan.
Company facts
Seagate
- Founded
- 1979
- Headquarters
- 121 Woodlands Avenue 5, Singapore
- Current CEO
- Dave Mosley
- Employees
- 30,000
Western Digital
- Founded
- 1970
- Headquarters
- San Jose, California, United States
- Current CEO
- Irving Tan
- Employees
- 40,000
Founders
Seagate
Alan Shugart
Alan Shugart co-founded Shugart Technology in 1979, renamed Seagate Technology after a trademark objection from Xerox, which owned Shugart Associates. Seagate's ST-506 of 1980 was the first 5.25-inch hard drive for microcomputers.
Finis Conner
Finis Conner was one of Seagate's five co-founders and worked on the commercial side of the young company. He left in the mid-1980s and founded Conner Peripherals in 1985.
Doug Mahon
Doug Mahon was one of the five people credited with founding Seagate in 1979. The founding team built the ST-506, the 5-megabyte, 5.25-inch drive that launched the company in 1980.
Syed Iftikar
Syed Iftikar is credited as one of Seagate's five co-founders. He was part of the team that took the company from startup to the ST-506, the drive that helped set the early PC hard-drive standard.
Tom Mitchell
Tom Mitchell is credited as one of Seagate's five co-founders and served in senior operating roles in the company's early years, when Seagate shifted volume manufacturing to Southeast Asia to lower costs.
Western Digital
Alvin B. Phillips
Alvin B. Phillips founded General Digital in Santa Ana, California, in 1970 to build test equipment for semiconductor makers. The company was renamed Western Digital in 1971.
CEOs and their tenures
Seagate
- Bill Watkins2004–2009
Chief Executive Officer
Watkins was CEO from 2004 to 2009, a period that included the Maxtor acquisition and the move to perpendicular magnetic recording; he was replaced by Luczo in January 2009.
Source - Steve Luczo2009–2017
Chief Executive Officer
Luczo was CEO from 1998 to 2004 and again from 2009 to 2017. He led the 2000 buyout of Seagate's operations with Silver Lake and others, the 2002 return to public markets, and the Maxtor acquisition period.
Source - Dave Mosley2017–present
Chief Executive Officer and Chair
Under Mosley, Seagate went from a $529 million loss in fiscal 2023 to record fiscal 2026 net income of $3.18 billion on $12.2 billion of revenue.
Source
Western Digital
- David Goeckeler2020–2025
Former CEO
Left Western Digital at the February 2025 separation to become CEO of Sandisk.
Source - Irving Tan2025–present
Chief Executive Officer
Leads the HDD-focused company, including the 2026 disposal of most of the retained Sandisk stake to reduce debt and retire shares.
Source - Kris Sennesael2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
Provided fiscal 2027 first-quarter guidance of about $4.1 billion in revenue.
Source
Timeline: Seagate and Western Digital side by side
1970Western Digital
Founded as General Digital
Alvin B. Phillips founded the company in Santa Ana, California.
1979Seagate
Shugart Technology is founded
The company that became Seagate was founded to build storage for the emerging personal computer market.
1980Seagate
ST-506 ships
The ST-506 helped define early PC hard drive form factors and interfaces.
1988Western Digital
Bought Tandon's drive business
Western Digital entered hard-drive manufacturing.
1989Seagate
Acquired Imprimis Technology
Seagate acquired Imprimis Technology, Control Data's disk drive unit.
2006Seagate
Maxtor acquisition
Seagate acquired Maxtor, consolidating scale in hard drives.
2011Seagate
Samsung HDD business acquisition
Seagate acquired Samsung's hard disk drive business.
2012Western Digital
Acquired HGST
Added Hitachi's hard-drive business.
2014Seagate
Acquired Xyratex
Seagate Technology Holdings acquired Xyratex in 2014 for $375 million.
2015Seagate
Acquired Dot Hill Systems
Seagate Technology Holdings acquired Dot Hill Systems in October 2015 for $696 million.
2016Western Digital
Acquired SanDisk
Added NAND flash and SSDs.
2025Seagate
FY2025 revenue reaches $9.097B
Seagate's fiscal 2025 revenue rose 39% to $9.097 billion, with GAAP net income of $1.469 billion.
2025Western Digital
Sandisk separation completed
Sandisk became independent on February 21, 2025, and Irving Tan became CEO.
2026Seagate
Mozaic 4+ in production
Seagate said its Mozaic 4+ HAMR platform, supporting up to 44TB, was qualified and in production with two leading hyperscale cloud providers.
2026Seagate
Record fiscal 2026 results
Seagate reported fiscal 2026 revenue of $12.195 billion, up 34%, GAAP net income of $3.184 billion and record free cash flow of $3.1 billion.
2026Western Digital
Sandisk stake exchanges and FY2026 results
Western Digital exchanged most of its Sandisk shares for its own debt and stock and reported fiscal 2026 revenue of $12.92 billion.
Acquisitions
Seagate
- Dot Hill Systems2015$696M
- Xyratex2014$375M
- Samsung HDD business2011$1.4B
- Maxtor2006$1.9B
- Conner Peripherals1996$1B
- Frye Computer Systems1995Undisclosed
Western Digital
- Upthere2017Undisclosed
- Tegile Systems2017Undisclosed
- SanDisk2016$16B
- Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST)2012$4.3B
- Komag2007Undisclosed
Questions about Seagate vs Western Digital
Who is the CEO of Seagate Technology Holdings plc and Western Digital Corporation?
Seagate Technology Holdings plc is led by Dave Mosley and Western Digital Corporation is led by Irving Tan. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Seagate Technology Holdings plc founded vs Western Digital Corporation?
Western Digital Corporation was founded in 1970 — 9 years before Seagate Technology Holdings plc, which was founded in 1979. Western Digital Corporation's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Seagate Technology Holdings plc.
How many employees does Seagate Technology Holdings plc have compared to Western Digital Corporation?
Seagate Technology Holdings plc employs approximately 30,000 people, while Western Digital Corporation employs approximately 40,000. Western Digital Corporation has the larger workforce at 40,000 employees, compared to Seagate Technology Holdings plc's 30,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Seagate Technology Holdings plc and Western Digital Corporation headquartered?
Seagate Technology Holdings plc is headquartered in Singapore and Western Digital Corporation is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Seagate Technology Holdings plc and Western Digital Corporation?
Seagate Technology Holdings plc was founded by Alan Shugart, Finis Conner, Doug Mahon, Syed Iftikar, Tom Mitchell. Western Digital Corporation was founded by Alvin B. Phillips.
Which company has a longer operating history — Seagate Technology Holdings plc or Western Digital Corporation?
Western Digital Corporation has been operating for approximately 56 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Seagate Technology Holdings plc has been in operation for around 47 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Seagate vs Western Digital overview