- Mike Rocco named Bentley Americas President and CEO, primed to lead the biggest global market with his deep experience and relationships
- Christophe Georges promoted to Global Sales and Marketing Director, returns to company headquarters in Crewe, England
- Seamless transition for Bentley Americas
(Reston, VA / Crewe, 23 May 2024) Bentley Americas has today announced changes within its leadership team. Mike Rocco has been promoted from VP of Sales Operations to Bentley Americas President and CEO, succeeding Christophe Georges, effective 28 May. After holding the position since 2019, and Georges’ second term leading Bentley’s largest and most profitable Bentley region, he will return to the company’s headquarters in Crewe, England, as Global Sales and Marketing Director, beginning 1 June.
In Christophe’s new role, he will assume overall responsibility for brand and product strategy. Christophe has been with Bentley for more than 25 years, holding positions ranging from Director of Marketing and Product Strategy, to most recently, Bentley Americas President and CEO (2007-2015 & 2019-2024). He holds a degree in Economic Science from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, France.
“On behalf of Bentley Motors, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Christophe for the great work he has done to deliver on our strategic objectives in the Americas. We thank him for his leadership in the region and look forward to his return to Crewe to continue to steer the brand forward,” said Jan-Henrik Lafrentz, Member of the Board for Finance and IT. “We are also now delighted to elevate Mike’s responsibilities to lead Bentley’s momentum in this important and influential region.”
Mike joined Bentley Americas in 2017 as Vice President of Sales and Operations, responsible for sales field organization, ordering, allocation, distribution, sales training, dealer network development and the pre-owned business. He was also involved in marketing, lead generation activities and product pricing decisions.
He has more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry for a number of global automotive brands, starting his career as a management trainee immediately upon graduating from Boston College, then progressing to a number of senior management roles.
“Mike has deep relationships through the Americas retailer market and no one else is better primed for me to pass the torch to; I look forward to his leadership and continuing to work together in the future,” said Georges.
The Americas remained the number one Bentley market throughout 2023, closing the year delivering 3,848 cars, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the 13,560 global sales figure. There are 60 Bentley dealerships throughout the Americas, with the corporate headquarters based in Reston, Virginia.