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Aston Martin has named Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark as its next chief executive, the third change of leadership at the UK luxury-car maker in the space of four years.
Hallmark, who also previously worked at JLR, has overseen a turnaround at Bentley in which profits have risen 10-fold in the past five years, and the company has set out a strategy to sell only electric models early next decade.
Bentley, owned by Volkswagen, announced Hallmark’s immediate departure on Friday. He was leaving “at his own request and by mutual consent”, the company said, adding it would name his successor “in due course”.
He will join Aston Martin no later than October 1 and replace the current head, 77-year-old Amedeo Felisa, Aston announced. The Financial Times reported Hallmark’s appointment earlier on Friday.
Convincing Hallmark to jump from Bentley marks a significant coup for Aston’s executive chair Lawrence Stroll, who has been in conversations with several industry executives about becoming a permanent leader for the troubled carmaker for more than a year.
Stroll’s pitch when he invested in the business in 2020 was to restore its place among luxury brands by cutting production levels and raising prices.
But the company has been hamstrung by funding needs and losses, as well as internal turmoil caused by multiple changes of leadership in a brief period.
Hallmark will be the fourth leader of Aston since Stroll ousted Andy Palmer shortly after his 2020 bailout of the company. Palmer’s replacement, Tobias Moers, was hired from Mercedes and oversaw significant staff turnover at the company before leaving in 2022.
Felisa was one of several Aston executives formerly at Ferrari, an appointment Stroll believed would bolster the company’s luxury credentials, especially to investors.
Aston’s shares have halved under Felisa’s tenure, amid concerns about the company’s finances. Last week Aston announced it had raised £1.15bn through its latest refinancing.
Stroll said that, in Hallmark, “we are attracting one of the highest calibre leaders not just in our segment, but in the entire global automotive industry”. He praised Felisa’s contributions to the company, and said there would be an orderly handover between the two men.
Hallmark said he had “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”. He added: “The transformation of Aston Martin is one of the most exciting projects within the ultra-luxury automotive industry.”
Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner said Hallmark “has achieved a great deal at Bentley”, adding that he had “taken important steps towards the long-term success of the company”. Audi oversees Bentley within the VW group.
He added: “I would like to thank Adrian Hallmark for his significant commitment over the last years and wish him well in his personal and professional future.”
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