Automobile Division
For further details about a career at Bentley Motors, current opportunities and the applications process, visit the Bentley Careers website.
Tell us about yourself!
I'm Luke Owen and I'm Technical Manager for Life Cycle Assessment at Bentley Motors.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the automotive industry? And why Bentley?
I was always passionate about cars growing up and it always fascinated be me how iconic cars could define a culture or moment time. I was inspired to join the automotive industry to hopefully contribute to such a milestone.
As a luxury manufacturer with a significant heritage, I felt Bentley offered a unique set of interesting challenges not faced by other Brands. Joining a smaller business allowed me to have a direct impact on these challenges across a range of varied projects and gain experience in working with multiple different engineering disciplines.
Describe your career so far and your current role at Bentley? What exciting / interesting projects have you been involved in?
I joined Bentley on the Graduate Scheme in 2013. Since then, I have held a number of roles across Whole Vehicle Research & Development including in Aerodynamics, Weight Management and most recently, Sustainability.
Working in the Whole Vehicle function means I am involved at every stage of the vehicle development process from the early concept phase, all the way through to final vehicle certification. Seeing a vehicle go from an initial idea to the final product is a very fulfilling experience. I have been fortunate enough experience this across all the main product lines of the Continental GT; Flying Spur and Bentayga, as well as bespoke projects such as the Bacalar.
In my current role I am responsible for assessing and influencing the environmental impact of our products across the entire lifecycle from raw material extraction, through to the end of life. This role has been the greatest and most interesting challenge of my time at Bentley, helping to define what sustainable luxury means for the products of today and the future, as part of Bentley’s Beyond 100 Strategy.
What is your experience with Formula Student? What motivated you to get involved?
I became involved with Formula Student while studying Liverpool John Moores University. The Formula Student Team had not long been established when I started, and they were looking for new members. It seemed great opportunity to get hands on in the workshop creating something tangible, whilst the competition offered a great experience too. I was part of the team until I graduated competing in both static and dynamic events, across a number of competitions.
After a few years in industry, I decided to volunteer as a Judge for the Business Plan Presentation. Knowing how valuable I found Formula Student myself, I wanted to help provide that experience for others going forwards.
Since then I have returned almost every year. It’s amazing to see how much things progress year on year, especially since I was competing. This is particularly true for topics such as electrification, driver assistance and AI, directly reflecting the current focuses (and in some cases ahead!) of the automotive industry.
What aspects of your experience at Formula Student do you find most transferable to your role at Bentley?
Having experienced Formula Student as both a competitor and a Judge, I believe it offers valuable insights in both areas.
As a former competitor, I believe Formula Student provided a rounded experience beyond just technical skills. Not only did it provide a practical experience of a full vehicle development process; it also developed the many of the ‘soft’ skills which are essential. Generating an engineering solution is only the first step in the process, that solution needs to be effectively communicated, justified and implemented for it to be successful. Formula Student challenges competitors to do all of these things.
As a judge, I believe Formula Student provides me with a fantastic opportunity for self-reflection and personal development. Judging panels often consist of people from a range of industries. Considering their priorities and broader perspectives in the judging process allows me to consider and apply this to my own role. Additionally, witnessing the innovation, quality, and passion of the students competing is in itself inspiring.
For further details about a career at Bentley Motors, current opportunities and the applications process, visit the Bentley Careers website.
If you are joining us at Silverstone this year, be sure to visit Bentley Motors in the paddock to get hands-on with their line of vehicles and to speak with representatives about placement and graduate opportunities