Disk drive pioneer Al Shugart dies
[EDIT: Hey Stitch, if you're still looking in on this board, be nice to hear from you.]
Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:30 PM ET
By Duncan Martell
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Al Shugart, a pioneer in the computer disk drive industry and one of Silicon Valley's most memorable and colorful entrepreneurs, died on Tuesday, a family friend said. He was 76.
The founder of Seagate Technology <STX.N>, now the world's largest maker of computer disk drives, died after complications from heart surgery, said Julie Still, a family friend and Seagate spokeswoman.
The maverick executive, who once ran his dog Ernest for Congress, was beloved at Seagate for his coach mentality in grooming young executives, despite his sometimes gruff manner, Seagate Chief Executive Bill Watkins said.
"He could be stubborn, but he gave people a lot of rope," Watkins, who worked for Shugart after Seagate bought his employer Conner Peripherals, said in a telephone interview. "He allowed you to run your organization."
After founding the company in 1979, Shugart led Seagate to the top of a notoriously rough and tumble industry. But a disagreement with the board in July 1998 ultimately led to his ouster.
Shugart, who had for years lived in Pebble Beach, California, and was known for his fondness for Hawaiian shirts, is survived by his wife Rita, five children and seven grandchildren, Still said.
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