BEHIND THE BUILD: POWERING THE FUTURE OF BENTLEY

At Bentley, extraordinary craftsmanship isn’t just visible in our materials, finishes, or design. Behind the scenes our expert teams are working in perfect harmony to develop a new generation of electrical systems that are smarter, more robust, and more responsive than ever before.

This work is the result of close collaboration across three specialist teams, each led by dedicated experts working to ensure every Bentley offers the seamless and extraordinary experience our customers expect. Meet Martin Reithmayr, Marie Panek, and Dean Hughes, who along with their teams, work together to turn complex systems into a seamless Bentley experience.

Martin Reithmayr – Building the Brain

First up in the process is Martin Reithmayr, who leads the Electrical/Electronic (EE) Architecture team, the experts who "build the brain" behind Bentley’s next generation of vehicles.

“The correct speed, frequency, timing and physical implementation of communication between ECUs (Electrical Control Units) is critical,” Martin explains. “If just one message is timed wrongly, it can really affect the customer experience.”

His team also builds in diagnostic capability, so our vehicles can be efficiently assembled, commissioned, serviced, and repaired using intelligent tools that spot and resolve issues quickly.

In a nutshell, Martin’s team:

  • Ensures all electronic control units (ECUs) exchange the right information at the right time and speed to enable every function in the car.
  • Delivers solutions that are safe, legally compliant, robust, and future-proof.
  • Embeds diagnostics to support vehicle assembly, servicing, and repair across the product lifecycle.

Marie Panek – Making It Real

Once Martin’s team complete this, Marie Panek who heads up the Integration Management and Software Excellence team integrate these solutions into a working, drivable vehicle.

Every six weeks, Marie’s team release an integrated software level for Bentley that reflects our systems, requirements, and refinement.

In summary, Marie’s team:

  • Manages and consolidates incoming software changes to deliver timely Bentley Integration Levels (BiLs).
  • Tracks all software delivery inputs to ensure alignment with project milestones.
  • Maintains agility and precision across teams to meet the fast-paced, structured release schedule.

 

Dean Hughes – Testing It All to the Limit

Once Marie and her team have defined the integration point content, Dean Hughes and the Global Integration Testing (GIT) team testing it all to the limit. This team are the final gatekeepers before software is released into production.

“Our job starts one week after software freeze,” Dean says. “We put the software through intensive lab and vehicle testing to make sure any issues are found and fixed - before the customer ever sees them.”

Working from the new EIC (Electrical Integration Centre) facility, Dean’s team ensures everything runs smoothly, reliably, and exactly as expected.

Finally, Dean’s team:

  • Conducts intensive testing across lab environments and real vehicles to validate each integration point.
  • Identifies and resolves issues across a 6-week test window after every software freeze.
  • Ensures systems are safe, stable, and production-ready before entering the build process.

From defining the electrical architecture, to integrating it into the vehicle, to testing every detail, Martin, Marie, and Dean’s teams form a critical chain in the delivery of every new Bentley model.

Their roles may differ, but their mission is shared: To ensure that what’s inside a Bentley is just as extraordinary as what you see on the outside.