Veteran finance executive to help scale operations and advance commercialization of autonomous trucking solutions
BLACKSBURG, Va., May 12, 2026–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Torc Robotics today announced the appointment of Tobias Wessels as Chief Financial Officer. Wessels brings more than two decades of financial and operational leadership across autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, and deep-tech sectors, joining at a pivotal moment as Torc advances toward commercial deployment of Level 4 autonomous trucks on U.S. highways.
Wessels joins Torc from Helm.ai, where as Chief Development Officer he led finance, corporate development, and international expansion — including the build-out of the company’s Stuttgart operations and its partnership with Volkswagen Group. He previously served as Chief Corporate Development Officer at autonomous delivery company Udelv, and earlier as CFO of X — the moonshot factory at Alphabet — where he helped build the financial foundation for breakthrough initiatives, including what is now Waymo. His career spans the full arc of autonomous vehicle development, from first principles to commercial scale.
“Tobias brings a rare combination of deep technical understanding and financial rigor, shaped by experience at the forefront of autonomy and AI,” said Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO of Torc. “As we continue to scale our operations, his leadership will be instrumental in strengthening our financial strategy, enhancing operational discipline, and positioning Torc for long-term success.”
“In Tobias, we found a finance leader whose career has tracked the arc of autonomy itself — from the earliest days of Waymo through commercial AI to the operational scaling we are pursuing now,” said Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO of Torc. “His combination of deep-tech operating experience and transatlantic fluency makes him uniquely suited to partner with our team and with Daimler Truck as we bring autonomous freight to market.”
In his role, Wessels provides integral support to Torc’s continued growth, operational scaling, and long-term strategic initiatives.
“Torc occupies a position no other autonomous trucking company can match — Daimler Truck’s strategic backing, a purpose-built focus on freight, and the technology and team to deliver at scale,” said Wessels. “After more than twenty years operating at the intersection of AI, autonomy, and capital, I see few opportunities this clear. I’m focused on building the financial infrastructure to match Torc’s technical and commercial ambition — and on partnering with Peter, the executive team, and Daimler Truck to make autonomous freight a reality on American highways.”
