Andrew Hillier is Ballinger Equine’s founder and Managing Director. He is responsible for managing all non-clinical aspects of the practice and for running the business.
Andrew is a former Board Director at the UK’s Veterinary Management Group (VMG) where he delivered the Group’s engagement and lobbying strategy, new organisational structure, Congress 2024 communications, marketing and sponsorship plan and media relations management and lines-to-take for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) review into UK veterinary services consumer experiences and business practices. He has advised central government and delivered best practice communications and engagement strategies for Foot and Mouth disease, outbreaks of H1N1 (swine flu), H5N1 (avian influenza), EHV (Equine Herpes Virus) Equine Influenza and Bluetongue.
A business development, marketing and communications specialist, formerly Director of Communications for the UK’s South-East England Development Agency (SEEDA), Andrew has served as communications adviser to the Chief Executive of the UK Forensic Science Service and as strategic communications consultant to the Metropolitan Police Service. He is a former Director of Communications for Aberdeenshire, for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and before that, Head of PR and Press Office at the City of Westminster where he established UK local government’s leading communications and public affairs team.
A Board Member of the European Association of Communication Directors, Andrew is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Journalists and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations where he was Greater London Chairman for two consecutive terms and a CIPR National Council Member for four years.
Against stiff competition from Europe’s biggest creative agencies and pharmaceutical in-house teams, Andrew won the prestigious Practice Marketing Award and was joint winner in the Marketing Campaign category at the veterinary industry’s annual VMA awards for excellence in March 2018.
Andrew has previously owned two AQH/Thoroughbred greys, Frosty and Patriot. Confident handling horses, he has ridden extensively in the UK and abroad, particularly North America, Australia, New Zealand and Botswana.