By Jon Robinson
Luxury car maker Bentley has named a top executive at Porsche as its new chairman and chief executive.
Frank-Steffen Walliser will take on the roles at the Crewe-headquartered manufacturer on July 1.
Walliser has been vice president, complete vehicle architecture and characteristics, at Porsche since September 2022, having first joined more than 25 years ago.
He will succeed Adrian Hallmark who left Bentley in March ahead of becoming Aston Martin’s new chief executive later this year.
New boss outlines ‘major task’ facing Bentley
Walliser said: “I am approaching this job with great respect and looking forward to having a team in Crewe that has shown impressive performance over the last few years.
“The continuing transformation of the automotive industry will be a major task for Bentley as well, a task that I am happy to take on with the team.
“I am convinced Bentley will continue to set standards in the luxury segment in the future.”
Bentley has been part of Volkswagen AG since 1998 and of the Audi Group since January 2022.
The announcement of Mr Hallmark’s departure came after Bentley’s profit fell last year as a slowdown in the global economy impacted the luxury car market.
The business reported a 17 per cent decrease in operating profit to €589m (£502.9m). Revenue also dipped around 13 per cent to €2.9bn (£2.4bn).
Some 13,560 of the company’s stately vehicles were delivered in 2023, 11 per cent lower than the prior year but still marking the third-highest total in its history.
Audi chairman Gernot Döllner added: “In Frank-Steffen Walliser, Bentley is getting an experienced engineer with distinct product and technology expertise and entrepreneurial experience who brought brand-defining models to the streets at Porsche, including the Porsche 918 Spyder.
“On Bentley’s ongoing path toward becoming the leading provider in the luxury segment, Frank-Steffen Walliser’s many years of experience and knowledge of the luxury segment will be invaluable.”
