Bentley boss Adrian Hallmark leaves the brand to join rivals Aston Martin

Bentley boss Adrian Hallmark is leaving the British luxury brand to join Aston Martin, it has been announced.

The former Jaguar Land Rover executive joined the Crewe-based manufacturer in February 2018, and is widely credited as being responsible for a huge transformation across the business. A number of these changes were introduced during the forced disruption of the Covid-19 lockdown, when Hallmark also received praise for bringing Bentley’s staff back to work in a safe environment.

Bentley’s sales have boomed, thanks to the introduction of not only a new generation of Continental GT but also the Bentayga SUV, which accounted for over 40 per cent of volumes in 2023. But 61-year-old Hallmark has also pioneered the “industrialisation of personalisation’, better integrating and expanding many of Bentley’s hand-crafted options to boost the margins on every vehicle sold. The company enjoyed its best financial results ever in 2022, and only narrowly missed out on matching that figure last year as it invested heavily in forthcoming all-electric models.

The switch to Aston Martin will therefore be seen as a major coup for the company’s chairman Lawrence Stroll, who has overseen a period of significant management turmoil in the past few years. Hallmark will start in his new role no later than 1 October, Aston Martin has confirmed. He will replace Amedeo Felisa, the 78-year-old former Ferrari chief who has been at the helm for two years.

In an Aston Martin statement, 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.”

A Bentley statement said that Hallmark’s successor will be named “in due course”. Hallmark, who topped the 2021 edition of Auto Express’s Brit List, our rundown of the top British execs in the global car industry – said, “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. I would like to express warm thanks to the entire Bentley team for all that we have achieved together in the last few years.“

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