Introduction

Andrew McMillan is a renowned business consultant, speaker and author specialising in customer experience, employee engagement and leadership culture. Drawing on a distinguished 28-year career with the John Lewis Partnership, Andrew demonstrates how authentic leadership and a shared sense of purpose can transform organisations into trusted, high-performing brands.

Professional Background & Credentials

Andrew began his career as a management trainee at John Lewis Partnership’s Brent Cross branch before progressing through a series of senior leadership roles. His early success in sales management led to his appointment as Head of Customer Experience for the Department Store Division.

In this role, Andrew helped develop John Lewis’s market-leading, customer-driven culture, a hallmark that has become synonymous with the brand. Working with 30,000 customer-facing partners across 26 stores, he established values-based service standards that fostered loyalty, advocacy and trust. Under his guidance, John Lewis became one of the UK’s most admired retailers, consistently winning awards from Which?, Verdict and Retail Week for customer satisfaction and brand excellence.

Following his tenure at John Lewis, Andrew became Principal Consultant at a City-based firm, where he advised a wide range of organisations in both the private and public sectors. His projects have included redesigning adult social care services for Plymouth City Council, an initiative that went on to win a national award, and supporting NHS Trusts and local authorities to enhance patient and citizen experience through purpose-led service design.

He is now Principal and Founder of Engaging Service, a consultancy dedicated to helping organisations connect employee engagement with exceptional customer experience.

Speaking Style & Audience Value

Andrew’s delivery is engaging, warm and thought-provoking. Blending storytelling with practical insight, he challenges audiences to rethink how leadership, communication and culture drive customer experience. His sessions are highly interactive and tailored to each client, often developed collaboratively to reflect the organisation’s goals and challenges.

His presentations combine strategic vision with practical solutions that can be applied immediately. Delegates leave with actionable ideas on how to build engagement, trust and customer advocacy, all underpinned by a genuine sense of purpose.

Teaching and Academic Roles

Andrew has lectured at some of the UK’s most respected business schools, including Henley Business School, Cranfield School of Management, The Møller Centre at the University of Cambridge, and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

Awards and Recognition

During Andrew’s leadership at John Lewis, the company became synonymous with exceptional customer service and earned widespread recognition for its achievements. Under his guidance, John Lewis received multiple industry awards, including Which? Retailer of the Year, the Retail Week Customer Experience Award, and the Verdict Customer Satisfaction Award. These accolades reflected the enduring culture of trust, engagement and excellence that Andrew helped to embed across the organisation.

High-Profile Clients and Engagements

Andrew has advised and spoken to clients across sectors, from multinational corporations to government agencies and not-for-profit organisations. His client work includes NHS Trusts and local authorities on citizen and patient experience, corporate leadership teams on culture transformation, and global conferences focused on engagement, service and brand differentiation.

A popular keynote and after-dinner speaker, Andrew has addressed audiences around the world, offering practical insight with warmth, humour and authority.

Contact us now  for more information on how Andrew can help your organisation build a powerful link between employee engagement, customer experience and long-term business success.