Mark Barnes Appointed COO Bentley Motors Americas Region

-- Current COO Kim Airey to lead Bentley China

-- Appointment effective immediately

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Mar 02, 2016, 10:41 ET

HERNDON, Va., March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bentley Motors today announced that Mark Barnes will become chief operations officer of Bentley Motors, Inc., the regional office for Bentley Motors in the Americas. His appointment is effective immediately. He succeeds Kim Airey who has accepted the position of regional director, Bentley Motors China.

"Mark's appointment comes at a time when Bentley is preparing for significant growth throughout the region," said Michael Winkler, president, Bentley Motors, Inc. "The launch of the all-new Bentayga ultra-luxury SUV is just the first step in adding new, hand-built luxury models to our product offering which will lead to sales growth. Mark is an industry veteran who brings in-depth automotive experience to Bentley, including many years working with retail partners. His insights and background will be valuable as we execute our strategy in the nearly 40 countries and territories across the region."

Barnes has 30 years of operations experience working for several automakers. Prior to returning to the VW Group in 2014 and taking his current position, he served as vice president of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales for General Motors International Operations. Barnes also served in a number of senior roles at Chrysler, Hyundai North America, and Nissan North America.

Barnes has a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and music from Indiana State University.

The Americas region is Bentley's largest market, with 53 dealerships accounting for almost 30% of Bentley total sales. Bentley Motors Americas' headquarters is in Herndon, Virginia.

Notes to editors
Bentley Motors is the most sought after luxury car brand in the world. The company's headquarters in Crewe is home to all of its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production of the company's four model lines, Continental, Flying Spur, Bentayga and Mulsanne. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury car brands such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley employs around 3,800 people at Crewe.

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SOURCE Bentley Motors, Inc.