Bentley has hired Stuart McCullough, Lexus' marketing director for Europe, as its global sales and marketing director.

McCullough fills the post vacated by Adrian Hallmark, who left the luxury marque to lead the US operation of Bentley owner Volkswagen.

Len Hunt, the former executive vice-president of Volkswagen in the US, was supposed to swap jobs with Hallmark, but resigned three weeks before he was due to start, to become chief executive of Kia in the US.

McCullouch, who will join the Bentley board in April, has headed Lexus' marketing operation since 2002. He is a former head of Lexus' UK marketing operations and has also held UK marketing positions at Porsche, Audi and VW.

Despite a tough year for the motor industry in 2005, with a 5% fall in sales, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Bentley has managed to revitalise itself, and sold 2096 cars in the UK last year, compared with 1993 in 2004 and just 322 in 2002.

Late last year Bentley appointed design agency Start to develop its international brand guidelines (Marketing, 12 October). The guidelines will encompass advertising, direct marketing and point-of-sale material. Key elements of the project will include the refinement of the Bentley logo, colour, typography, imagery and tone of voice.

Bentley revived production of its Azure convertible late last year, after production was halted in 2003. In the US, aspiring customers must join a one-year waiting list for the car.