Photo courtesy of Topcon

Topcon Positioning Systems announced that Ray O'Connor, president and chief executive officer, will retire in September 2025 after more than three decades of exceptional leadership. O'Connor will transition to the role of chairman of the Topcon Positioning Systems board of directors effective Sept. 1, 2024, providing guidance and support to the executive leadership team during this important year of transition.

Succeeding O'Connor as president and CEO is Ivan Di Federico, who currently serves as executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Topcon Positioning Systems. After two decades with the company, Di Federico will assume his new role on Sept. 1, 2024.

"It has been a true privilege to lead Topcon Positioning Systems for the past three decades and witness the incredible growth and evolution of the company," said O'Connor. "I am immensely proud of what our team has accomplished, and confident that Ivan is the right leader to take the company into the future. His deep technical expertise, strategic vision and proven track record of driving innovation make him the ideal choice to lead the company through its next chapter of growth and success."

Under O'Connor's leadership, Topcon Positioning Systems has experienced dramatic organic growth and expansion into new markets and product lines. During his tenure, he was responsible for numerous key acquisitions, as well as the expansion into GNSS, radios, machine automation, and global positioning software and workflow solutions for the construction and precision agriculture industries.

"Ray has made significant contributions to the global positioning industry through his many patents, inspired by his product vision and application experience — I am honored to succeed him as president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems," said Di Federico. "Ray has built an exceptional company and a talented team, and I look forward to building upon this strong foundation to drive continued innovation and growth.

"As we navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving market landscape, I am confident that our strategic focus, operational excellence, and world-class solutions will position the company for continued success."

In addition to the leadership transition, Topcon also announced that Philip Thach will be promoted to executive vice president (EVP) chief operating officer, and EVP chief financial officer, effective Sept. 1, 2024. Thach joined Topcon in 2018 as CFO and has been instrumental in developing financial controls, strategic planning and operational efficiencies.

The announcement of these executive leadership changes reflects Topcon's commitment to a thoughtful and well-planned succession process that will ensure a smooth transition and continued momentum for the company, while maintaining its customer-centric culture and values, the company said. With a strong leadership team in place, Topcon is poised to build on its history of innovation and market leadership.

For more information, visit topconpositioning.com.

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