Key insights
- Western Digital appointed Manuvir Das, formerly of NVIDIA and Microsoft, to its board. Das's expertise in AI and data infrastructure is seen as valuable for WD's positioning in the AI infrastructure market. This appointment, coupled with recent analyst upgrades and a significant stock surge, suggests continued positive sentiment and potential for the company, which could indirectly benefit related technology sectors.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) announced the appointment of Manuvir Das to its board of directors, effective Monday, according to a press release statement.
Das previously held senior leadership roles at NVIDIA, Dell EMC, and Microsoft. He currently serves as an Operating Partner in the Digital Infrastructure group at Stonepeak Partners LP, a position he assumed in April 2025.
Most recently, Das served as Head of Enterprise Computing at NVIDIA, where he led the company’s enterprise AI strategy and launched the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software suite. Prior to NVIDIA, he led Dell EMC’s unstructured data storage business, overseeing the scale-out Isilon NAS platform and the scale-out ECS Object platform. Earlier in his career, he spent 14 years at Microsoft where he worked on the development of Microsoft Azure.The appointment comes as Western Digital shares have surged over 900% in the past year, with the company’s market capitalization reaching $183 billion. The stock trades near its 52-week high of $547, reflecting investor confidence in the company’s AI infrastructure positioning.
Das holds master’s and doctoral degrees in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
"His experience helping enterprises operationalize AI at scale, combined with his deep understanding of data infrastructure and storage, will be invaluable as WD continues building the infrastructure that makes AI possible," said Marty Cole, chairman of Western Digital.
With this appointment, Western Digital’s board comprises nine directors, eight of whom are external and independent.Analysts remain bullish on the company’s prospects, with 17 analysts recently revising their earnings estimates upward. For deeper insights into Western Digital’s financial health and growth trajectory, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report on InvestingPro, available for this and over 1,400 other US equities.
In other recent news, Western Digital Corporation reported impressive financial results for its fiscal third quarter of 2026, surpassing earnings expectations. The company achieved an earnings per share of $2.72, exceeding the forecasted $2.36, and reported revenue of $3.34 billion, which was higher than the anticipated $3.23 billion. Additionally, Western Digital announced the integration of post-quantum cryptography into its Ultrastar UltraSMR hard disk drives, enhancing security with NIST-approved quantum-resistant algorithms. The company also entered into exchange agreements with institutional investors to receive its own stock in exchange for shares of Sandisk Corporation, with settlement expected in May 2026. Furthermore, Evercore ISI raised its price target on Western Digital shares to $575 from $410, maintaining an Outperform rating, citing increased demand driven by AI. These developments highlight ongoing strategic moves and technological advancements at Western Digital.
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