Sangyup Lee appointed Bentley’s head of exterior design

Sangyup Lee has been appointed Bentley's head of exterior design. He reports directly to Luc Donkerwolke, head of Bentley Styling and Design and taken up the position left by Dave Hilton.

Korean-born Lee joins the British carmaker from Volkswagen/Audi's Advanced studio in California, where he held the position of chief designer of Exterior from January 2010.Speaking to Car Design News, he says, "Bentley is an exciting, passionate brand with history – for me, the attraction was very personal."

"When I moved to Volkswagen/Audi my styling experience and design execution and precision improved – it's where I learned precision in design. Now at Bentley, one of the most exclusive brands in the world, I'm looking forward to experiencing things I haven't done before. It's a big challenge."

Prior to his time to VW/Audi he worked for 10 years at General Motors, where his international assignments included the Camaro production program for Holden, Australia; a joint venture program for Subaru and GM in Japan; and a project between Bertone and GM in Italy where he developed the 2004 Buick Velite Concept car.

Before embarking into a career in car design, Lee left Hongik University with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art, where he studied sculpture. He then attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and graduated with honors in 1999. Internships at Porsche and Pininfarina honed his design talents before he worked as a contractor at Porsche for approximately six months upon graduation.