Al Shugart has more than 45 years of experience in the storage technology industry and continues to play a key role in determining the future of information technology. Nicknamed Maverick, Spin Doctor, Computer Pioneer, and the Disk Drive King by industry journalists, Shugart in renowned for his unconventional thinking and straightforward manner.

Shugart founded Seagate Technology, Inc. in 1979, building the company into the world's largest independent manufacturer of disk drives and related components, as well as a leading developer of software tools and applications in the area of data management, including information management, network and systems management and storage management. In 1998, he left Seagate to establish Al Shugart International, an LLC presently involved in searching out technology opportunities. While at Seagate, Shugart joined the Board of Directors of SanDisk Corporation, Valence Technology and Inktomi, all listed NASDAQ stocks. Since leaving Seagate, he has joined the Board of Directors of four additional companies: Cypress Semiconductor (NYSE), and privately held Siros Technologies, Inc., Sarnoff Digital Communications, and Sierra Imaging, Inc.

From 1975 to 1979, Shugart worked as a private consultant to the technology industry. In 1973, he co-founded Shugart Associates, the company, which pioneered the floppy disk, and left at the end of 1974. He held the position of vice president of Product Development at Memorex from 1969 to 1973. Before joining Memorex, he worked for IBM Corporation for 18 years, starting as a field engineer in 1951, the day after he finished college. He worked as a manager of a variety of programs including IBM's 2321 data call drive, and the first rigid disk drive with a recording head on each disk surface, the Advanced Disk File, which became the IBM 1301. Shugart was promoted to manager of all random access memory products, and then to director of Engineering for the Systems Development Division, before resigning in 1969.

Shugart remains actively involved in politics. In 1997, he formed Friends of Ernest (FOE), an accredited nonprofit and nonpartisan citizens watchdog organization dedicated to promoting public interest in the American political process. A recognized personality and significant presence in the community, Shugart continues to support organizations that contribute to the betterment of society, like the Court Appointed Special Advocated (CASA) and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Shugart is the author of two books Ernest Goes To Washington (Well, Not Exactly), the true story of Ernest's run for Congress, and Fandango, The Story of Two Guys Who Wanted to Own a Restaurant, a firsthand account of Shugart's life in the restaurant business. He is currently working on two more books which promise to be equally adventurous, his autobiography entitled, Turn Left at Leo's Liquors, and You Don't Need Al Shugart's A to Z Guide to Success in Business and Life. . . But it Couldn't Hurt, which Shugart describes as more than you need to know about succeeding in life and business and having fun in the process.

Born and raised in California, Shugart attended the University of Redlands where he earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering physics.