Aston Martin has tapped Bentley boss Adrian Hallmark to become the James Bond favourite’s fourth CEO since 2020.
Hallmark will replace Amedeo Felisa, who turns 78 this year and had been brought in from Ferrari to turn the luxury carmaker around after years of struggles.
Felisa led an initial rebound for Aston Martin in his first year in charge, but the stock has slumped since then. It’s down more than 50% since July. The Italian will leave in October, after overseeing the launch of the new 202 mph Vantage, expected to sell for more than £160,000.
Hallmark has led Bentley since 2018, helping the Volkswagen-owned luxury car brand bring in €708 million in profits last year.
Aston Martin chair Lawrence Stroll said: “In Adrian Hallmark, we are attracting one of the highest calibre leaders not just in our segment, but in the entire global automotive industry.”
Felisa’s salary last year was £900,000, and he could make up to £2.9 million for the year depending on bonuses. Aston Martin says its top executives’ salaries “appear high in a FTSE 250 context”, but are benchmarked against “ global automotive and luxury companies”.
Felisa said: “It has been a great privilege to serve as Aston Martin's Chief Executive Officer, leading our iconic brand through this exciting era. I am incredibly proud of the progress made over the last two years, which has aligned Aston Martin for a positive future direction. I believe now is the right time to allow the Company to transition to new leadership.”
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.”
