Daimler Truck and Torc Robotics have announced a change in leadership. The companies have decided to elevate Dr Peter Vaughan Schmidt to the position of Torc's CEO. He is currently the Head of Daimler Truck’s Autonomous Technology Group.
Notably, Dr Schmidt has been with Daimler and Daimler Truck in a variety of roles since 2005, including production and plant management, as well as product and platform management. He was a key figure in acquiring Torc Robotics in 2019 and worked closely with Michael Fleming ever since, noted Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck.
Daum said, 'The aim now is to establish Torc as a global company with four locations, bring autonomous trucking technology to perfection in the next few years, and ultimately to series production. I am very pleased that we have the right personality in Peter Vaughan Schmidt to shape this next phase as CEO of Torc.'
Dr Schmidt will succeed Michael Fleming as CEO of Torc Robotics. Fleming will retain a seat on the Torc Board of Directors and remain engaged as a key advisor. After competing as a student for Virginia Tech in the 2004 and 2005 DARPA Grand Challenges, Michael Fleming founded Torc to commercialise self-driving technology.