ORANGE COUNTY NEWSMAKERS : Western Digital Appoints Chief Accounting Officer

H. Richard Byrne has been appointed corporate vice president, corporate controller and chief accounting officer for Western Digital Corp. in Irvine.

In his new position, he will be responsible for all corporate accounting, financial planning and analysis, worldwide accounting and control activities, financial systems development and financial reporting for the Irvine-based computer products company.

Before joining Western Digital, Byrne was a consultant for Wicat Systems Inc., chief financial officer and a member of the board of Ducommun Inc., and controller for the Microelectronic Products division of Rockwell International.

In addition, as the result of a manufacturing reorganization, Joseph B. Smith was named vice president of product manufacturing for the storage business unit, and Robert F. Elfant was selected vice president of microcomputer operations. Both are new positions.

Smith joined Western Digital in 1988 as vice president of drive manufacturing. Before that, he held executive positions with Priam Corp., Conner Peripherals, Shugart Associates, Fairchild, Memorex and IBM.

Elfant, who joined the company in 1989 as vice president of large-scale integration operations, had previously spent 25 years in senior management positions with such companies as Burroughs, OMEX and IBM.