Western Digital chief presses for flood-protection milestones

John F. Coyne, president and CEO of US-based hard disk drive-making Western Digital Corp, did not hide his frustration towards the disastrous flood in Thailand which submerged the company's facilities here.

In a special address at BOI Fair's CEO Forum today, he said that it is a must for Thailand to come up with some flood-protection milestones quickly.

"To go from here, we have to ensure that there're no inflicting wounds in 2012," he told the audience.

He noted that to become a leading hard disk drive maker in the world, predictable, reliable and consistent products are the key of success recipes. Yet, the floods in October prevented the company from satisfying customers in the regards.

He noted that the Thai government must keep its promises and he has high confidence that necessary elements should be in place in the short term, to ensure success in the future.

It was reported that Western Digital supplied 60 per cent of products to clients around the world from facilities in Thailand and Malaysia. The Thai facilities in Ayutthaya resumed operations 46 days after the flooding.