Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) today announced that Mark Long has been named executive vice president of strategy and corporate development. Long has an extensive background in corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and investment banking. He will oversee Western Digital's strategic planning and be responsible for the company's corporate development activities. Long will also lead Western Digital Capital, a strategic investment fund targeting innovative companies within the broader storage industry and related markets aligned to Western Digital's strategic plan.

"Mark is an excellent addition to the Western Digital senior leadership team," said Steve Milligan , president and chief executive officer, Western Digital. "He brings tremendous strategic and operational ability to this role, including an extensive background in mergers and acquisitions. He will focus on executing our growth strategy and capitalizing on the many opportunities present in today's dynamic storage industry."

Long was most recently senior vice president, strategy and corporate development at Hitachi GST, which was acquired by Western Digital in March 2012. He previously served as managing director of VisionPoint Capital, where he provided merger and acquisition and corporate finance services to a range of technology companies, including Fabrik, Inc., which was acquired by Hitachi GST in April 2009. In addition, Long has served as a senior executive with both public and private venture-backed technology companies and has been an investment banker with Credit Suisse First Boston and Deutsche Bank Securities. Long began his career as a corporate lawyer with Gunderson Dettmer , a leading law firm in California's Silicon Valley. He earned both a J.D. and MBA from the University of Michigan.

Long will report to Western Digital president and CEO, Steve Milligan.