Binance appoints crisis and risk expert Patrick Hillmann as chief of comms
“We’re working hand-in-glove with regulators around the world toward our mutual goal of protecting users, encouraging innovation and further establishing the industry.”
Binance has appointed Patrick Hillmann as Chief Communications Officer to lead the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange’s global communications and public affairs division.
The exchange platform wants to be a critical pillar of the global economy as the digital asset space integrates with the other sectors besides finance, but 2021 has been bittersweet year for the company.
Binance has reported continued growth and record-high volumes, but still faces a regulatory crackdown in many jurisdictions.
The firm is acting quickly to resolve issue: it established three entities in Ireland to undo red flags, closed shop in South Africa, suspended Chinese sign-ups amid the country’s crackdown and stopped offering trading in Yuan, shut down in Singapore, but much remains to be done.
Since then, Binance strengthened its global compliance team with Chief Regulatory Liaison Officer Mark McGinness, who formerly served as Head of International Relations at the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and Global Money Laundering Reporting Officer (GMLRO). The firm also hired Greg Monahan, a former U.S. Treasury Criminal Investigator.
Solid communications are critical for a company the size of Binance and the firm chose the GE and Edelman veteran as its first Chief Communications Officer to establish the firm as a global leader.
Patrick Hillmann will be in charge of corporate communications, public affairs, media relations, and stakeholder engagement efforts, while working alongside Binance’s compliance and security leaders as the organization coordinates with global regulators.
Yi He, co-founder at Binance, said: “In just four years, Binance has grown at a pace rarely seen in recent history. As we continue our evolution from a disruptive tech startup to a respected global financial institution, we recognized that it was paramount that we recruit leading compliance, communications, and government affairs experts. Patrick’s proven track record of successfully helping reposition some of the world’s largest brands in highly regulated industries clearly sets him apart.”
Changpeng Zhao, Chief Executive Officer at Binance, commented: “We’re working hand-in-glove with regulators around the world toward our mutual goal of protecting users, encouraging innovation and further establishing the industry. Patrick’s fifteen years of experience working on global regulatory issues, such as GDPR, will be critical in advancing that work.”
Patrick Hillmann, Chief Communications Officer at Binance, said: “Joining the leadership team at Binance is a once in a lifetime opportunity to leverage my experience to support an organization that is truly changing the world. As we continue to grow in cooperation with global regulators, the potential of this industry is virtually impossible to project today.”
Mr. Hillmann joined Binance from Edelman’s crisis and risk practice, where he was the Global Head of Innovation. There, he spearheaded the firm’s cybersecurity and counter disinformation offerings.
Prior to that, he held senior government affairs and public affairs positions at General Electric (GE) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). He led those organizations’ advocacy efforts in response to countless global policy issues.
