Bentley boss Adrian Hallmark named new Aston Martin CEO

Bentley boss Adrian Hallmark will take over as Aston Martin CEO in the coming months. Hallmark – whose departure from Bentley was announced earlier this morning – will be Aston's third CEO in four years, following Tobias Moers and current boss Amedeo Felisa, who will step down as he approaches his 78th birthday. Hallmark has left Bentley with immediate effect, and will start his new role in Gaydon "no later than 1 October 2024", said Aston in a statement. Felisa – who was CEO of Ferrari from 2008 to 2016 – will be busy in his final months as boss, with Aston ramping up to replace the DBS and launch the Valhalla supercar by the end of this year. Aston Martin chairman Lawrence Stroll thanked Felisa (below) for his two-year stewardship of the sports car firm: “When Amedeo was appointed CEO, I spoke of him leading a new phase of growth and development. Two years on, we have delivered on that promise, as we near completion of our thrilling new product portfolio and move closer to our vision of becoming the world’s most desirable, ultra-luxury British performance brand. “I’d like to personally pay tribute to Amedeo, recognising not just what he has achieved at Aston Martin but throughout his long and distinguished career at the very top of the ultra-luxury automotive industry. I am pleased that Amedeo will remain in post until Adrian joins and will continue to oversee the launch of our upcoming products, with our breathtaking line-up of new front-engine sports cars a fitting legacy to his time leading the company and its product strategy. "We look forward to celebrating Amedeo’s contribution to Aston Martin’s recent success before wishing him the very best." Hallmark takes the reins on the cusp of a transformative era for Aston Martin, which will see it electrify its line-up with the addition of new plug-in hybrids and its debut EV – the first of four planned – in 2026. Especially pertinent is the role he played in scaling up Bentley's personalisation service, Mulliner, which has driven huge profit increases at Bentley in recent years - much as Aston's own Q bespoke division has achieved of late, helping to push the average sale price of an Aston Martin to a record £213,000 in 2023. Hallmark said: "Like many working within the ultra-luxury segment, I have admired the continued transformation of Aston Martin’s brand and products from afar and feel honoured to have the opportunity to work with Lawrence, the board and the company’s employees to lead its next chapter. “The transformation of Aston Martin is one of the most exciting projects within the ultra-luxury automotive industry. I am looking forward to continuing the company’s great momentum and utilising my experience and passion to further unleash this iconic brand’s potential and take it to even greater success.” Hallmark is an industry veteran, who previously served as Bentley's sales and marketing boss from 1999 until 2005 – when he was key to the revival of the Crewe outfit under the ownership of the Volkswagen Group. He played a key role in the success of the transformative Continental GT. Since his return to Bentley, Hallmark has been key to helping drive it to record sales and successes, along with pushing forward the 'Beyond 100' transformation plan to prepare the firm for an electric future. During his 25-year career in the automotive industry, he has also worked for Porsche, Volkswagen and Jaguar Land Rover. In a statement released by Bentley, Hallmark said the firm "has had a great influence" on him, adding: "To redefine luxury mobility for the future with such a strong brand is a task that I took on with full commitment and great pleasure." Audi boss Gernot Döllner, who heads the VW Group's Progressive Brand Group that includes Bentley, said Hallmark "successfully pushed ahead the develoopment of the company", adding that "he has taken important steps towards the long-term success" of Bentley. The timing of Hallmark's departure is a big surprise, coming just days after Bentley's annual report was released when Hallmark did a round of media interviews – speaking in depth about the firm's electrification strategy and giving no hints he would shortly leave the company. There have been considerable changes within Audi and the VW Group's Progressive Brand Group (which also includes Audi, Lamborghini and Ducati) since Döllner – appointed by new VW Group chair Oliver Blume – took on the role in September last year. Bentley said it will announce Hallmark's successor "in due course".