Shift5, an operational intelligence platform serving U.S. defense and transportation systems, has appointed L3Harris executive Toby Magsig as president and interim CEO, placing him in charge of company strategy, operations, and execution. The leadership change moves Shift5’s co-founder Josh Lospinoso out of day-to-day operational leadership while keeping him involved as founder and board member, with a focus on long-term vision, major product initiatives, and key strategic engagements.
Magsig joins Shift5 from L3Harris Technologies, where he served as vice president and general manager of Enterprise Autonomous Solutions. In that role, he led a new business unit centered on autonomous systems and launched product lines including AMORPHOUS software and DiamondBack autonomous vehicles. He also founded the LHXelerator, an effort designed to bring commercial and non-traditional defense capabilities into L3Harris products.
Before his private-sector leadership roles, Magsig spent 26 years in the U.S. Army, including command assignments that spanned modernization and operational leadership. At Army Futures Command, he commanded the Joint Modernization Command, integrating more than 110 future technologies across all five armed services while adopting agile development approaches and leading the Army’s largest annual experiments. His military career also included command of a 4,500-member Airborne Infantry Brigade and twelve combat deployments across Iraq and Afghanistan.
The transition arrives as Shift5 points to recent momentum, including the closing of a $75 million Series C funding round led by Hedosophia, key contracts tied to platforms such as the F-16, and the introduction of next-generation capabilities that include advanced RF-enabled GPS detection. The company positions its platform as infrastructure and analytics that help operations, maintenance, and cybersecurity teams detect threats, anticipate failures, and respond more effectively across mission-critical fleets and assets.
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“Building Shift5 from the ground up has been the defining work of my career,” said Josh Lospinoso, Shift5 founder and board member. “What has always mattered most to me is solving real problems for operators and maintainers – problems where failure isn’t an option. This transition lets me stay focused on long-term vision and the hardest product challenges, while Toby brings the operational leadership we need to scale with rigor. He’s exactly the right leader for where the company is headed.”
Josh Lospinoso, Founder and Board Member, Shift5
“What Shift5 has developed is exactly what our warfighters and operators need – real-time visibility into the systems they depend on,” said Toby Magsig, Shift5 president and interim CEO. “The demand for Operational Intelligence across defense and transportation is accelerating, and Shift5 is uniquely positioned to meet it. I’m excited to join the Shift5 team to ensure we’re delivering for operators and maintainers, at the pace and scale the mission requires.”
Toby Magsig, President and Interim CEO, Shift5
“Josh built Shift5 into a defense imperative, establishing the technical foundation that protects our fleets today. Toby Magsig is a proven combat leader who knows what it takes to drive high-performance teams in the most demanding environments on earth. As we pivot to mass-scale deployment, Toby is the force multiplier we need. He brings a commander’s mindset to our operations, ensuring absolute accountability and precision in execution. This structure unleashes Josh to push the technical horizon while Toby drives the operational velocity required to capture the market.”
Ret. Gen. Rich Clarke, Chairman of the Board, Shift5; Former SOCOM Commander
