Albany Associates International Limited
Strategic communications consultancy founded by former Royal Marines, contractor to the FCO/FCDO
| Albany Associates International Limited | |
|---|---|
| Type | Private limited company |
| Logo | |
| Founded | Template:Start date |
| Founder(s) | Dieter Loraine; Simon Haselock |
| Dissolved | |
| Registration ID | 05256920 (Companies House) |
| Status | In liquidation (creditors’ voluntary liquidation from 6 June 2025) |
| Headquarters | The Old Town Hall, 71 Christchurch Road, Ringwood, BH24 1DH |
| Location | England |
| Area served | Conflict and transitional environments |
| Services | Strategic communications, media regulation, capacity building |
| Registration | |
| Key people | Dieter Loraine (director/secretary); Simon Haselock (director); Douglas Arthur Griffin (director) |
| Website | albanyassociates.com (archived) |
| Remarks | |
Albany Associates International Limited (company number 05256920) is a strategic communications consultancy incorporated on 12 October 2004. It specialises in “developing and implementing innovative strategies in transitional and challenging communications environments”.[1] The company was founded by Dieter Loraine and Simon Haselock, both former Royal Marines who had worked with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Media Development and Regulation Advisory Team in Iraq. It entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation on 6 June 2025.[2]
Company
Status: liquidation. Type: private limited company. SIC 70229 (management consultancy activities other than financial management). Registered office (as of 2025): The Old Town Hall, 71 Christchurch Road, Ringwood, BH24 1DH. Earlier offices included 201 Borough High Street, London SE1 1JA and 5–7 Tanner Street, London SE1 3LE.[2] Last accounts filed to 29 September 2023. Confirmation statement overdue. Persons with significant control: Dieter Loraine and Simon Haselock (each more than 25% but not more than 50% of shares/voting rights).[3]
People
Directors and officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dieter Loraine | Director and Secretary | 12 October 2004 | — | July 1959 | British |
| Simon Haselock | Director | 12 October 2004 | — | November 1954 | British |
| Douglas Arthur Griffin | Director | 1 October 2006 | — | December 1970 | French |
| Paul Christian Bell | Director | 3 April 2014 | 24 May 2017 | March 1954 | British |
| Robert Kerr | Director | 7 January 2020 | 30 May 2021 | September 1983 | British |
| Ashok Bhardwaj | Nominee Secretary | 12 October 2004 | 12 October 2004 | — | British |
| Bhardwaj Corporate Services Limited | Nominee Director | 12 October 2004 | 12 October 2004 | — | — |
Caroline Jaine has been listed as Head of Communications and Marketing.[4] Sir Robert Fry, former senior British representative in Iraq and Royal Marine, was reported as chairman around 2011.[5] Dieter Loraine and Simon Haselock both served in the Royal Marines. Haselock previously held media roles for the UN in Kosovo, the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and as Deputy Senior Information Advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad.[6]
UK government contracts and payments
Albany Associates appears as a supplier on the published FCO/FCDO programme-spend compilations for multiple years between 2011 and 2022.Compiled supplier lists from Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spending pages, 2010–2022. Specific line-item totals are not consolidated in a single published figure. A 2020 call-off contract under the CSSF Framework for Covid-19 communications support to the British Embassy in Sarajevo was limited to £51,350.[7] The company has also held contracts for strategic communications support and related services with the former Foreign and Commonwealth Office.[8] In 2016 the FCO, responding to a freedom-of-information request for contracts over £1 million with named suppliers including Albany Associates, withheld some details under section 24 (national security).[9]
Activities
Iraq
In 2007 Albany worked with the BBC World Service Trust and IREX Europe on a professional code of conduct and regulatory framework for media in Iraq.BBC World Service Trust, [1] 21 September 2007. Between November 2006 and November 2008 it held a US$2.4 million contract with the United States Government and the Iraqi Reconstruction and Management Office to train and capacity-build the Communications and Media Commission.
Syria
Leaked documents published by The Grayzone in 2020 describe Albany’s role in UK Foreign Office strategic communications projects supporting the Syrian opposition. Albany stated it had secured a local network of over 55 stringers, reporters and videographers. It claimed responsibility for developing Enab Baladi “from an amateur-run entity into one of the most prominent Syrian media organizations” and trained activists in a “newsroom process” to “curate” content that supported a core narrative. It reported coordinating with an engagement lead who had credibility with groups including Ahrar ash-Sham, Jaysh al Islam and others later designated terrorist organisations. Albany also said it had run the Syrian National Coalition’s communications team at the Geneva talks in 2014 and warned that exposure of Western funding would compromise brands such as Basma Syria. Albany submitted a risk assessment and methodology for the Syrian Moderate Opposition Resilience Strategic Communications Project, proposing a consortium that included M&C Saatchi, Enab Baladi and ORB International.[10]
Other
The firm has worked in Somalia, Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan. A 2022 US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction audit of a State Department grant for strategic communications support to the Afghan National Unity Government questioned costs incurred by Albany Associates.SIGAR 22-37 Financial Audit, August 2022. US federal awards to the company since 2019 have totalled approximately $10.7 million.[11]
Liquidation
On 6 June 2025 the company passed a resolution for creditors’ voluntary winding-up. A liquidator was appointed and a statement of affairs filed on 12 June 2025. The registered office was changed to the Ringwood address the same day.
See also
Zinc Network Breakthrough Media Network InCoStrat ARK Group Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Research, Information and Communications Unit
External links
Companies House The Grayzone, 23 September 2020
Notes
- ↑ Albany Associates, About us Albany Associates, 2008, accessed via archive.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Companies House, ALBANY ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL LIMITED overview Companies House, accessed 10 October 2026.
- ↑ Companies House, persons with significant control Companies House, accessed 10 October 2026.
- ↑ Powerbase, Albany Associates International Limited Powerbase, accessed 10 October 2026.
- ↑ Powerbase, Robert Fry Powerbase, accessed 10 October 2026.
- ↑ Ben Norton, Leaked docs expose massive Syria propaganda operation The Grayzone, 23 September 2020.
- ↑ CSSF Framework Call-Off Contract CPG-4455-2020, Albany Associates, June 2020.
- ↑ Devex, Albany Associates Devex, accessed 10 October 2026.
- ↑ Foreign and Commonwealth Office, FOI 0106-16, 3 March 2016.
- ↑ Albany Associates, 1.3.1 Risk Assessment and Methodology documents submitted to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2020 (leaked).
- ↑ GovTribe, Albany Associates International Limited profile, accessed 10 October 2026.