Bentley will soon have a new leader at the helm, and it's a person who knows a thing or two about performance. In a statement released Tuesday, the luxury brand announced Frank-Steffen Walliser will take over as CEO starting July 1. He succeeds Adrian Hallmark, who made a sudden departure for Aston Martin in March.
Porsche fans and purveyors of hypercars will immediately recognize Walliser as a legend in the business. He joined Porsche in 1995, having held numerous positions within the company, not the least of which being the head of Porsche's motorsport division. Dr. Walliser holds a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering, and in 2010 he became the project leader for the 918 Spyder hypercar.
“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," Walliser said in a statement. "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.”
There's no question Walliser knows how to build high-performance vehicles. He took over as manager of the 911 and 718 lines in 2019, and he exits Porsche as the head of overall vehicle development, a role he took up in 2022.
Walliser's announcement curiously coincides with the reveal of the first electrified Porsche 911. The 2025 911 Carrera GTS Hybrid combines a new 3.6-liter flat-six engine with an integrated electric motor, generating a combined 532 horsepower while only gaining 103 pounds in the process. Bentley's luxury vehicles are notoriously heavy—will Walliser's extensive Porsche experience see future models lose weight? We sure hope so.
“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," said Gernot Dollner, Audi CEO and head of Volkswagen's Brand Progressive Group, which includes Bentley. "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.”
