New leadership role to align technology strategies and investments for profitable growth

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 2026-- The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC), a leading global provider of solutions for the outdoor environment, today announced that Neal M. Lackritz will join the company as its vice president and chief technology officer, effective November 2, 2026.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261020929677/en/

The Toro Company names Neal M. Lackritz Chief Technology Officer; New leadership role to align technology strategies and investments for profitable growth

In this newly created role, Lackritz will lead The Toro Company’s enterprise technology strategy with responsibility for accelerating breakthrough innovations and commercializing autonomous, alternative power and connected solutions. As chief technology officer, he will oversee the global engineering organization and the company’s Center for Technology, Research and Innovation (CTRI). This structure will enable greater alignment across the portfolio, creating a more unified technology roadmap that prioritizes investments, streamlines platforms, and drives profitable growth.

“Built on a foundation of innovation and engineering excellence, The Toro Company has long focused on helping customers tackle their most important challenges,” said Edric C. Funk, president and chief operating officer. “That commitment continues as we improve the products our customers trust today, while also developing integrated solutions that will define the future, strengthen our market leadership, and deliver added efficiency and productivity for our customers.”

“I am excited to welcome Neal to The Toro Company and our leadership team. Throughout his career, he has built and transformed high-performing engineering organizations by uniting teams around clear priorities, shared technology platforms, and disciplined execution. Neal’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.”

Lackritz brings 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 joins The Toro Company from Whisker, where he most recently served as vice president of engineering 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.

Lackritz holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was also a Doctoral Student at MIT.

About The Toro Company

The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) is a leading global provider of solutions for the outdoor environment including turf and landscape maintenance, snow and ice management, underground construction, rental and specialty construction, and irrigation and outdoor lighting solutions. With net sales of $4.5 billion in fiscal 2025, The Toro Company’s global presence extends to more than 125 countries through a family of brands that includes Toro, Ditch Witch, Exmark, BOSS, Ventrac, Tornado, HammerHead, American Augers, Spartan, Subsite, Radius, Hayter, Perrot, Unique Lighting Systems, Irritrol, and Lawn-Boy. Through constant innovation and caring relationships built on trust and integrity, The Toro Company and its family of brands have built a legacy of excellence by helping customers work on golf courses, sports fields, construction sites, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties and agricultural operations. For more information, visit www.thetorocompany.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261020929677/en/

Investor Relations
Heather Hille
Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
(952) 887-8923, heather.hille@toro.com

Media Relations
Branden Happel
Senior Manager, Public Relations
(952) 887-8930, branden.happel@toro.com

Source: The Toro Company