Release Details

20th annual recognition honors organizations committed to business integrity through robust ethics, compliance, and governance programs

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 18, 2026-- Western Digital Corporation (Nasdaq: WDC), the storage foundation of the AI-driven data economy, has been recognized for the eighth consecutive year as one of the 2026 World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

Also referred to as WD, the company is one of only five honorees in the Technology industry. In 2026, 138 honorees were recognized, spanning 17 countries and 40 industries. This year’s class includes 19 first-time honorees, and six organizations recognized 20 times.

“At WD, ethical leadership is essential to building lasting trust in today’s technology landscape,” said Joe Santosuosso, VP and Chief Compliance Officer at WD. “Recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the eighth consecutive year reflects our continued commitment to integrity, transparency, and responsible innovation across everything we do.”

“Congratulations to WD for achieving recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies®. As we mark the 20th class of honorees, this group continues to raise the bar for business integrity by embedding ethics into everyday decision-making and long-term strategy. Companies with strong ethics, compliance, and governance programs are built for better long-term performance,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere’s Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair.

To learn more about WD’s commitment to ethical leadership and responsible business practices, visit the WD blog: https://blog.westerndigital.com/wd-worlds-most-ethical-companies-2026/

Methodology & Scoring

The World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient®, which requires companies to provide 240+ documented proof points on practices that support robust ethics and compliance, including: corporate governance; program structure & resourcing; written standards; training, awareness, & communication; risk assessment & auditing; investigations, enforcement, discipline & incentives; measurement of ethical culture; third-party risk management, and environmental & social impact.

That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by our panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year’s group of applicants.

This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify best-in-class ethics and compliance practices from organizations across industries and from around the world.

Honorees

To view the full list of this year’s honorees, please visit the World’s Most Ethical Companies website: https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees.

About WD

WD, formerly Western Digital, builds the storage infrastructure that powers certainty in the AI-driven data economy. At the forefront of innovation, WD partners with the world's leading hyperscalers, cloud service providers, and enterprises to enable reliable storage solutions that are proven and trusted at scale. Driven by a culture of innovation and execution, WD helps customers store, protect, and use the world's data with confidence. Follow WD on LinkedIn and learn more at www.wd.com.

About Ethisphere

Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that strengthen corporate brands, build trust in the marketplace, and deliver business success. Companies turn ethics, compliance, and culture into a business advantage by leveraging Ethisphere’s data-driven program & culture assessments featuring the latest guidance and the practices of hundreds of global organizations across the 8 pillars of an ethical culture, and 240+ ethics, compliance, social, and governance data points delivered through a proprietary software platform. Ethisphere also honors superior integrity programs through World’s Most Ethical Companies® recognition, brings together a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and advances ethical business practices through the Global Ethics Summit, Ethisphere Magazine, and the Ethicast podcast. For more information, visit https://ethisphere.com.

© 2026 Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved. WD, the WD design, and Western Digital are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the US and/or other countries. World’s Most Ethical Companies and “Ethisphere” names and marks are registered trademarks of Ethisphere LLC. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260318039133/en/

Media Contacts
Corporate Media Inquiries
WD.Mediainquiries@wdc.com

Julia Petre
Julia.petre@ethisphere.com

Source: Western Digital Corporation