Patrick Hillmann

Patrick Hillmann is an American business executive specializing in public affairs and regulatory strategy. Hillmann has held leadership positions in a range of industries, including manufacturing, financial technology, and cryptocurrency. His career includes roles at Binance, General Electric (GE), Edelman, and the National Association of Manufacturers.

At Binance, a major global cryptocurrency exchange, Hillmann served first as Chief Communications Officer and later as Chief Strategy Officer. During his tenure, he played a role in the company’s initiatives to address issues such as corruption, fraud, and financial crime. His work included collaborating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to freeze approximately $200 million in cartel-related funds. Hillmann was also responsible for leading crisis and communications efforts in nearly 100 countries. His responsibilities involved engagement with the United States Department of Justice and coordination with U.S. law enforcement agencies as part of Binance’s regulatory reform and broader compliance restructuring.

Early life and education

Patrick Hillmann earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He later obtained a master’s degree in international public affairs from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he concentrated on economics and quantitative risk analysis. In addition to his academic studies, he completed executive coursework through Harvard Business School’s Business Cases Learning Program.

In 2008, while pursuing his graduate degree, Hillmann worked as a consultant for the Directorate-General for External Relations of the European Commission. In this role, he contributed to policy and communications efforts during the Russian-Georgian conflict. His involvement during this period, marked by limited staffing and a high-stakes international crisis, has been described as a formative experience that reinforced his interest in leadership during times of conflict.

Career

Hillmann has worked for approximately 15 years in the fields of crisis management, public affairs, and international security. His areas of specialization include crisis response, reputation management, quantitative risk analysis, global media relations, issue advocacy, coalition building, and geopolitical strategy.

Hillmann’s professional background spans a range of complex industries such as manufacturing, financial technology, and cryptocurrency. He has provided advisory support to the White House and is noted for his work in international diplomacy, corporate crisis management, regulatory strategy, and communications operations related to emerging technology sectors.[8]

While attending graduate school, Hillmann worked as a consultant for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for External Relations (DG RELEX), the European Union’s counterpart to the United States Department of State. In August 2008, during the Russian–Georgian conflict, Hillmann assisted the directorate-general in developing policy and communications responses at a time when much of the regular staff was unavailable due to summer holidays.

His responsibilities included analyzing emerging geopolitical trends, drafting policy briefs on external communications, and providing strategic communications guidance related to EU–Russia and EU–U.S. transatlantic relations. He also played a role in managing media coverage during the conflict. This experience, which has been described as a significant test of his ability to operate in high-pressure international situations, contributed to the development of his expertise in crisis and strategic communications.

In addition, Hillmann contributed to initiatives associated with the 2015 European migrant crisis and worked on matters related to the Lisbon Trade and Globalization Strategy.

Hillmann has held leadership positions in crisis management at several public relations and communications firms, including Levick, Olson, and Ketchum. While at Olson, he established and led the firm’s crisis management practice.

He served as Director of Public Advocacy, Government Affairs, and Policy at General Electric (GE), where he led advocacy initiatives addressing global policy issues within a highly regulated environment. In recognition of his work, he received the 2016 GE Pinnacle Award from GE Government Affairs and Policy.

He later held the position of Vice President of Public Affairs and Advocacy at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), where he led national campaigns focused on key policy matters.

In August 2019, Hillmann joined Edelman as Executive Vice President of Crisis & Risk. He later became the Global Head of Innovation within the agency’s crisis and risk practice, where he oversaw initiatives related to cybersecurity and counter-disinformation.

During his tenure at Edelman, he managed multiple complex crises, including the response to a workplace mass shooting at Molson Coors and a significant COVID-19 outbreak at a Hawaiian resort. He utilized predictive data and digital targeting to inform strategic messaging and provided counsel to senior executives and corporate boards on crisis and risk management.

Binance

In 2021, Hillmann joined Binance as its first Chief Communications Officer. In this role, he was responsible for corporate communications, public affairs, media relations, and stakeholder engagement. He worked closely with compliance and security teams on matters involving coordination with global regulatory authorities. Hillmann was tasked with expanding the company’s global communications and public affairs division and played a central role in shaping the exchange’s public engagement strategy.

In October 2022, he was appointed Chief Strategy Officer. During his tenure, Hillmann led crisis and communications efforts across nearly 100 countries, including engagement with the United States Department of Justice. He supported regulatory reform initiatives, including a company-wide compliance overhaul and coordination with U.S. law enforcement agencies. He was also involved in improving risk management practices and contributed to efforts to freeze illicit funds in collaboration with federal authorities.

Hillmann played a leadership role during major industry events and regulatory challenges, including the collapses of Luna, Three Arrows Capital (3AC), and FTX. He left Binance in July 2023, describing the departure as amicable and stating that it was time to pursue a new opportunity after two years with the company.

Notable activity

Law enforcement collaboration

While at Binance, one of Hillmann’s most prominent efforts involved partnering with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to freeze approximately $200 million in cartel-related funds. This initiative was cited as an example of how cryptocurrency can be employed to enhance financial security, countering public perceptions of the technology as primarily linked to illicit activity.

In his roles as Chief Communications Officer and later Chief Strategy Officer, Hillmann worked closely with compliance and security teams on matters related to global regulatory coordination. He led crisis and communications operations in nearly 100 countries, including engagement with the United States Department of Justice. He also participated in regulatory reform initiatives, contributing to a company-wide compliance overhaul and supporting efforts to strengthen risk management and disrupt illicit financial activity in coordination with federal authorities.

Hillmann appeared on Fox Business News, where he discussed the potential of cryptocurrency as a tool for combating crime.

Russian-Georgian conflict in August 2008

While pursuing graduate studies in 2008, Hillmann was hired as a consultant for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for External Relations (DG RELEX). DG RELEX served as the EU’s main diplomatic body, responsible for formulating, coordinating, and implementing the Commission’s external policies.

Hillmann’s tenure at DG RELEX coincided with the Russian–Georgian conflict in August 2008. During this period, when much of the Commission’s staff was on holiday, he was among the few personnel available and assisted in the directorate-general’s policy and communications response. He also managed media coverage for the European Union’s 2008 Conference on Russian Energy Relations and provided strategic communications guidance during high-risk events, including the Russo–Georgian War.

Coors-Molson shooting during Covid outbreak

In February 2020, Hillmann was serving as Executive Vice President for Crisis & Risk at Edelman, a global public relations and marketing consultancy. He also held the position of Global Head of Innovation, Crisis, and Risk, where he was responsible for developing crisis response strategies for a broad range of international clients.

During the week of February 26, 2020, Hillmann was managing multiple high-profile crises. On that day, a mass shooting occurred at the Molson Coors brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where a gunman killed five co-workers before taking his own life. The incident was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States that year. The shooting took place just after 2 p.m. at the company’s Milwaukee campus, which employed approximately 1,000 people. The perpetrator, identified as 51-year-old Anthony Ferrill, was a longtime electrician at the facility. The victims were Jesus Valle Jr., Gennady “Gene” Levshetz, Trevor Wetselaar, Dana Walk, and Dale Hudson, all Molson Coors employees.

At the same time, Hillmann was also responding to the first major U.S. COVID-19 outbreak warnings connected to a Hawaiian resort, managing crisis communications for both events simultaneously.

Affiliations and awards

Patrick Hillmann serves as a board member of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and as an auxiliary board member of the Lincoln Park Zoo. While at General Electric, he received the 2016 GE Pinnacle Award from the company’s Government Affairs and Policy division.