[UPDATE] Aston Martin has confirmed Adrian Hallmark will become Chief Executive Officer no later than October 1, 2024.
Adrian Hallmark was appointed chairman and CEO of Bentley in February 2018. During his tenure, sales of the ultra-luxury British marque rose significantly, from 9,559 units during his first year to 15,174 cars in 2022. Even though demand dropped last year, everything seemed to be going fine at the headquarters in Crewe. However, the head honcho is suddenly stepping down.
Bentley issued a press release today, announcing Adrian Hallmark is leaving the Volkswagen Group with immediate effect. His successor will be announced in "due course." According to the Financial Times, the former man in charge of Bentley is switching brands while remaining in the UK. Hallmark will allegedly be appointed Aston Martin CEO in the following months. He would replace 78-year-old Amedeo Felisa who is due to retire soon.
That would make Hallmark the third Aston Martin CEO in four years considering the preceding top brass Tobias Moers was hired for the top position in 2020. His departure comes as a surprise since it was only a few days ago when he chatted with journalists after Bentley published its annual report. As a refresher, the company is pushing back the introduction of its first electric vehicle by a year, with the new target being a market launch in 2026. In addition, the objective to go purely electric by the end of the decade has been delayed to 2033.
61-year-old Adrian Hallmark also worked for Bentley between 1999 and 2005 as a board member for sales and marketing. We'll remind you the posh British automaker has been a member of the Volkswagen Group since 1998 before moving underneath the Audi Group corporate umbrella alongside Lamborghini in 2022.
"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."
