David Goeckeler

David Goeckeler is the Chief Executive Officer of Western Digital Corporation, a position he has held since March 2020. He also serves on the company's Board of Directors. Under his leadership, Goeckeler has focused on transforming Western Digital into a leading data storage provider, emphasizing innovation and adapting to the evolving demands of data storage solutions globally, with over a third of the world's data stored on their products.13

Career Background

Before joining Western Digital, Goeckeler had a significant tenure at Cisco Systems, where he was the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Networking and Security Business, overseeing a $34 billion technology franchise. His responsibilities included leading a team of over 25,000 engineers and directing Cisco's networking and security strategies.24

Goeckeler's educational background includes:

• Bachelor's Degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
• Master's Degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• MBA from both Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley.24

Additional Roles and Recognition

In addition to his role at Western Digital, Goeckeler is active in various industry organizations. He serves as Vice Chair of the Semiconductor Industry Association and is on the Board of Directors for ADP, a global provider of cloud-based human capital management solutions. He is also the Vice Chair of the U.S.-Japan Business Council at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and participates on the University of Illinois College of Engineering Board of Visitors.124

Goeckeler has been recognized for his leadership and operational excellence, receiving accolades such as Frost and Sullivan’s Excellence Award in Engineering Operations in 2012 and being named one of CRN’s Top 25 IT Industry Disrupters in 2019.24