IN BUSINESS
THE MAN IN THE DRIVING SEAT Adrian Hallmark is a man with a mission. The head of Bentley, one of the world’s most famous luxury car manufacturers, is not standing still when it comes to introducing radical changes at its car plant in Crewe, Cheshire. His appointment to Chairman and CEO in February 2018 saw him and his management team set in motion a series of strategic and operational transformations that are already boosting productivity, redefining the business model, and decarbonising the entire business and product range. “Sustainability is now as central to Bentley’s values as craftsmanship has been for the last 100 years,” says Adrian, who is on his second tour of duty in the company, having worked there as Board Member Sales and Marketing from 1999 until 2005. “This is demonstrated by the fact the Crewe site achieved carbon neutrality in October 2019, the first step in the full decarbonisation of all operations and powertrains. “This is just the beginning. We now have the opportunity and obligation to totally reinvent this 100-year-old company in less than 10 years, and this is the most exciting challenge that I and the team in Crewe have ever faced. We won’t be successful unless we fundamentally change the way we do things.”
24
LIFE MAGAZINE
SUMMER 2020
