Toro names new chief technology officer

Neal M. Lackritz

The Toro Company has named Neal M. Lackritz to the newly created role of vice president and chief technology officer (CTO), effective November 2, 2026.

Lackritz brings to the company more than 30 years of technology leadership across automotive, robotics, outdoor equipment and consumer hardware, with deep expertise in autonomous systems, electrification, connected solutions and embedded controls. He most recently served as vice president of engineering at Whisker, with responsibility for engineering strategy and development. Earlier in his career, he was vice president of advanced development at Ariens Corporation and held senior technology roles at Genesis Motion Solutions, Apple Inc. and Bose Corporation.

In his new role, Lackritz will lead the company’s enterprise technology strategy with responsibility for accelerating breakthrough innovations and commercializing autonomous, alternative power and connected solutions. He will also oversee the global engineering organization and the Center for Technology, Research and Innovation (CTRI).

In welcoming him to the company and its leadership team, Edric C. Funk, president and chief operating officer, The Toro Company, noted that throughout his career, Lackritz has “built and transformed high-performing engineering organizations by uniting teams around clear priorities, shared technology platforms and disciplined execution.”

Funk went on to state that Lackritz’s “collaborative leadership, passion for developing teams and ability to build alignment across organizations position us well to advance our technology strategy, accelerate innovation and create meaningful value for customers and shareholders.”