Globalisation:Albany Associates

Robyn Warburton Elizabeth Laird Chiara Brunelli Chibuye Ngosa

Goals and Objectives

Albany Associates is a very big company and its aims are numerous. As the group describes itself, it works:

- to develop innovative strategies in communications environments;

- to deliver communications and public diplomacy strategies;

- to consult on media and telecommunications law and regulatory frameworks;

- to advise on media infrastructure development including assisting the development of public service broadcasting;

- to provide professional training and institutional capacity building.

Albany Associates was particularly involved with Post-Conflict People in a conference ("Strategic Communications in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict Conference 2009"[[3]]) which took place in June 2009 and had as a goal to develop and implement innovative strategies in transitional and challenging communications environments, and to establish how strategic communications can be incorporated into policy at an early stage. This two-day event was directed particularly to policy-makers, communications practitioners, academics and media.

Personnel

Albany Associates was founded by the three directors Dieter Loraine, Simon Haselock and Doug Griffin, who together have over 40 years experience in strategic communications and regulatory affairs. They have a team of multi-disciplined international consultants, trainers and advisers with a range of expert skills. Albany has several associates one of whom is Katrin Nyman-Metcalf who provides consulting services and guidance within certain areas of the business.

Dieter Loraine has over 15 years experience of strategic commuications, institution building and media and regulatory development. Before forming Albany he was Senior Consultant for Media Regulation with the Foregin and Commonwealth Office's Media Development and Regulation Advisory Team in Iraq. His experience in communications stems from two years as Acting Deputy Director General and Director of Communications for the Communications Regulatory Agency (CRA). During this period he also worked as Special Adviser to the UK Press Complaints Commission. From 1998 to 2001 he was Director of Broadcast Licensing and Director of Public Affairs in the Independent Media and Broadcasting Commission in Sarajevo. Dieter Loraine also had a career in the Royal Marines as Assistant Director of Public Relations in the UK Ministry of Defence .

Simon Haselock co-founder and director of Albany Associates, specialises in media intervention in post-conflict countries. He was the Deputy High Representative for Media Affairs in the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Haselock was responsible for the regulation of the print and broadcast media in accordance with best international practice during his role as Temporary Media Commissioner in Kosovo. He also kick started the process of enabling independent media in Kosovo afterwards serving as the Director of Public Information for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. Before Albany Haselock was the Head of the Media Development and Regulatory Advisory Team in Iraq. This involved him establishing an Iraqi National Communications and Media Commission amongst the development of various other media infrastructure programs. Like Dieter Loraine, Haselcok also served with the Roayal Marines and was responsible for assisting in the development of media policy in the UK Ministry of Defence .

Douglas Griffin the third director of Albany Associates, is also an attorney specialising in media and communications issues. Having previously worked in the United Arab Emirates providing advice on regulatory issues, in Sudan on a public information campaign related to the peace process in Darfur, and in Iraq on capacity building projects with the media and telecommunications regulator. Currently he is advising Jordanian institutions on the establishment of a media law curriculum, the development of an annual media law and policy institute, and other law policy issues. Albany Associates deployed a Media Development and Regulatory Advisory team in Iraq for which Griffin was the lawyer. In this role he drafted codes and regulations applying to Iraqi media to protect it from government influence and helped the Iraqi interim and transitional governmetns on the role of independent regulators of media and telecommunications. Before working for Albany Griffin worked for Internews Europe where he assisted media rights advocates in developing countries and was in private practice for five years with the international law firm Latham and Watkins in New York, Moscow and Paris .