Bentley Boss Abruptly Steps Down, Takes Job With Aston

by Carl Malek | March 22, 2024

Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark steps down, will head Aston Martin starting in October

Former Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark

When Adrian Hallmark became CEO of Bentley in February of 2018, he had big plans for the British luxury car maker. A key goal was increasing sales for the brand and under his tenure Bentley’s sales went up from 9,559 units when Hallmark first took control, to 15,174 in 2022. Despite sales slipping to 13,560 vehicles in 2023, it appeared that all was still going well at Bentley so the news of Hallmark’s sudden departure is a surprise.

Hallmark’s unexpected exit ends an era

Hallmark cited the need to embrace new challenges as reason for stepping down

Hallmark’s departure was announced by Bentley via a press release which noted that Adrian Hallmark was leaving the Volkswagen Group and that a successor would be announced “in due course.” Hallmark’s departure ends a long career within Volkswagen Group and in addition to being CEO for Bentley, he also worked for the brand from 1999 to 2005 where he served as a board member for sales and marketing.

Hallmark also issued a final statement in the release saying “Bentley has had a great influence on me. 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. The time has now come for me to turn to new challenges. I would like to express warm thanks to the entire Bentley team for all that we have achieved together in the last few years.“

Hallmark Becomes Aston CEO

Aston Martin confirmed that Hallmark will step in to be their new CEO this fall

It didn’t take very long for Hallmark to find the new challenges he referenced in his statement with rival Aston Martin confirming that the 61-year-old would become their new CEO no later than October 1st, 2024 where he will replace outgoing chief exec Amedeo Felsia who is due to retire.

Unlike Bentley, Aston Martin is navigating rough waters with the British sports car maker already being forced to push the launch of its first BEV offering back a year. In addition, the financially troubled company is also facing rising amounts of debt and is looking to cut losses while simultaneously improving the way it rolls out new vehicles after supply and production constraints caused slower-than-expected sales of the DBX 707 SUV.

Hallmark’s imminent arrival also highlights the instability that has existed in the top office with the company going through three CEOs in the past four years. As such, Hallmark will not only have to build trust within Aston’s executive branch but also find ways to help the company reduce its debt load which will help give it more breathing room in developing new vehicles.

If he can do this, Hallmark could help write a new chapter in Aston Martin’s history while also giving the firm the necessary building blocks needed to achieve long-term success.