Aimee Kelly

Career path

The road to Crewe

Head and heart

Aimee Kelly never set out to work in the automotive industry. “When I was young, I wanted to be a barrister. Then in my teens, my aunt held a senior position in the civil service, and I found her inspiring. That motivated me to take my first degree, in politics, philosophy and economics. But then I did some work experience in the civil service and found it rather slow-paced and unexciting.”

Time for a career pivot. “I decided to work in the business world, so I took a masters in economic policy and international business. I’ve always loved solving strategic challenges.” A chance meeting at a careers fair saw Aimee taking up a role at another UK car manufacturer where she became involved in globalisation strategy. Her move to Bentley, as a Corporate Strategy Manager, came late in 2019.

“Even though I'm not a petrol head, I do appreciate cars. I like working on emotional purchases,” Aimee explains. “Everyone's just so impressed that you work here because it is such a famous brand. When you see the products, you really feel the passion. It's not like you're working in an industry where you're making thousands of micro components or something. It's a real product that you can feel.”

Shaping what comes next

Targets and achievements

Career highlights

Shortly after her move to Bentley, Aimee worked on the original Beyond100 strategy and later led the process to create Beyond100+, helping the business define future ambitions and priorities. Aimee has been Head of Sustainability since January 2024. In Sustainability, she ensures delivery across the business of the strategy, with a key priority on helping the business decarbonise in line with the ambition to reach Net Zero by 2050.

“I’ve always been drawn to big, complex strategic challenges, and sustainability is a fascinating one because there isn’t a simple answer. It touches almost every part of a business and challenges you to think genuinely long term. It's one of the most intellectually challenging areas I've worked in because you have to balance technology, sustainability, commercial challenges and customer expectations. It’s also super rewarding as you have to work with lots of different stakeholders across the business and externally, such as suppliers who are a key lever to help us decarbonise.”

She cites the new Torcal, Bentley’s new SUV and the first-ever Bentley EV, as an example. “When you look at the new ombré veneer, it’s a very intelligent, sustainable use of walnut off-cuts and recycled paper, turning by-products into something that's the height of luxury.”

“Sustainability just needs to be part of everyone's way of working, in the same way that you approach cost management or process improvement. It shouldn’t be a separate activity; it’s integral to every part of the business.”

Looking back on her time at Bentley, Aimee reflects on some career highlights. “Leading the Decarbonisation Strategy - firstly understanding the topic, which is very complex, and then working with cross functional stakeholders to really understand how to make the most sustainable impact. For example, within the product you have to embed the thinking as early as possible at the beginning of the design, and this is a study we did this year. How do you lightweight the car? How do you reduce the number of parts in it? How do you make sure that things are easy to repair? That is what the most credible product Sustainability strategy looks like.

She’s also proud of supporting Bentley’s Sustainable Excellence champions. “Seeing colleagues take ideas and turn them into tangible initiatives, whether that's carbon literacy training or projects with local schools, is a great reminder that sustainability is ultimately about people and culture.”

Another highlight is the annual Leadership Conference which are a “huge team effort, but it's an opportunity to bring leaders together, reflect on progress and set the priorities that will shape the year ahead. The energy and sense of purpose at these events are incredibly motivating.”

Life at Bentley

The Bentley culture

Ready for the challenge

For Aimee, Bentley’s working culture is special. “I love how connected and approachable people are. I say hello and speak to so many people on my way to get a coffee which makes me feel like part of one team.”

That team spirit came to the fore during the COVID pandemic. “I had the opportunity to work on the crisis management response with colleagues across many different parts of the business. Seeing how quickly people came together to adapt and keep the business moving forward showed me the strength of Bentley's culture.”

Aimee sums up the mindset at Crewe. “I've learned not to wait to be asked to solve a problem. If you can see a better way of doing something, take the initiative.”

Away from work, Aimee makes time to focus on fitness and health. “I'm into fitness. I put a lot of effort into preparing healthy interesting food because I love food generally and also cooking healthy wholefood meals. I make time for exercise, because that helps me decompress after a stressful day. It's a priority for me in terms of balancing it with my workload, just being flexible and being able to try and fit it in at some point in the day.” She also loves being out in nature and has a hiking trip to Guatemala planned for later this year.

Looking ahead, Aimee sees opportunity. “What drives me is solving different strategic challenges and getting stuff done. Luckily there is always a need for this so I’m looking forward to getting more experience and opportunities at Bentley to do this.”