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
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.
