Bentley on Tuesday named Frank-Steffen Walliser, a veteran of fellow Volkswagen Group model Porsche, as its new CEO.
Walliser will take over the position on July 1 from Adrian Hallmark, who in March introduced plans to join Aston Martin as its new CEO beginning on Oct. 1. Hallmark will exchange Amedeo Felisa, who’s retiring.
Walliser has been at Porsche since 1995. One profession spotlight was overseeing growth of the 918 Spyder hypercar beginning in 2010. He later turned head of motorsports at Porsche, earlier than taking up administration of the 718 and 911 sports activities automotive traces, and at last turning into the individual in cost for general car growth at Porsche.
Walliser’s background is in mechanical engineering, with a deal with internal-combustion engines. However, he joins Bentley at a time when the automaker has probably launched its last combustion engine, a brand new twin-turbocharged V-8 that varieties a part of a plug-in hybrid powertrain often called the Ultra Performance Hybrid.
The powertrain serves as the substitute for Bentley’s venerable twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 and makes its debut later this yr in an updated Continental GT range, the place it would ship a complete system output of 771 hp. Bentley can also be engaged on an electrical powertrain, which is able to debut in Bentley’s first electric vehicle at the moment due round late 2026.
In a separate announcement, Bentley final week named Mike Rocco as its new chief of the Americas, the automaker’s largest market. Rocco, who was beforehand head of gross sales operations for the Americas, changed Christophe Georges, who has returned to Bentley’s Crewe, U.Okay., headquarters to guide the automaker’s international gross sales and advertising workforce.
This article was initially revealed by Motor Authority, an editorial accomplice of ClassicCars.com
