Welcome to Albion East! We are an international advisory group with expertise in East Asia dedicated to empowering philanthropic organisations, vulnerable communities, and initiatives that support a fair and equitable world.

We are proud to serve some of the world’s leading philanthropic foundations and high-impact charities. In line with our values, we have taken the Companies Pledge to donate at least 10% of our profits to highly effective charities. In addition, we offer a rate reduction and pro bono support to organisations and individuals in particular need.

  • Albion East exists to turn empathy into effective action. We work alongside philanthropists, advocates, governments and front-line organisations to stretch every pound, dollar, or won as far as it will go—especially where lives and health are on the line. This philosophy  helps us—and the partners we serve—do the most good within the finite resources we can draw upon.

    Three questions guide every project we take on:

    First, does it matter? Is the issue large in scale or severity?

    Second, is it overlooked? Is there a critical gap that we can help to fill?

    Third, can we move the needle? Is there a credible pathway to real world impact?

    By seeking to work on problems that are important, neglected and tractable, we hope to turn targeted effort into outsized gains.

  • From the threat of pandemics and the persistent burden of diseases like malaria and TB to emerging challenges such as the need for effective governance of AI, the scale of global issues can feel overwhelming. Potential solutions exist across many domains, but funding can be tight, and coordination, cultural fluency, and rigorous prioritisation are often lacking.

    Albion East was created to fill this gap. We combine diplomatic know-how, regional insight, and analytical rigour, building bridges between the US, Europe and East Asia, to:

    • surface high-impact opportunities across a range of global challenges—from lead-elimination programmes in Bangladesh to ethical frameworks for AI development

    • marshal evidence and allies to turn good ideas into funded, delivered programmes and effective policies

    • ensure those closest to the challenge are heard, respected, and equipped to lead in finding solutions

  • We act independently and in partnership:

    • Independent initiatives—Our flagship advocacy programme has received strong support from leading international philanthropies. Their backing signals confidence in our judgement and mission, and provides the foundation for us to autonomously pursue the strategies we believe will save or improve the most lives.

    • Collaborative projects—We advise foundations, governments, and NGOs that share our desire to bring evidence to bear on global challenges. Recent examples include work advocating for Global Fund and Gavi replenishments, and helping the Against Malaria Foundation (the world’s most cost-effective charity for saving lives) establish in Korea, and begin to grow its domestic mission.

  • We’re committed to three core principles:

    Giving: We have taken the Giving What We Can Company Pledge to donate ≥ 10 % of profits to the most cost-effective and impactful charities we can find.

    Access: We reserve capacity for pro-bono or at-cost support where resources are scarce but impact potential is high.

    Integrity: We publish clear impact reports, welcome external audits, and subject our own strategy to the same “importance–neglectedness–tractability” test we apply for clients.

Graham Nelson, Principal

Graham is a British diplomat and global affairs specialist with over two decades of experience shaping international policy, fostering cross-cultural partnerships, and navigating geopolitical risk. Having spent the majority of his career in East Asia - including leadership roles in China, Japan, and Korea - he brings deep regional expertise and a rare combination of strategic insight, linguistic fluency, and on-the-ground credibility.

Outside of and independent from his government role, as founder of Albion East, Graham leads projects at the intersection of geopolitics, philanthropy, and innovation. His work supports major international foundations on effective grant-making, with a particular focus on public health and development in Asia. He also serves as Director of the Against Malaria Foundation Korea, championing evidence-based interventions to combat one of the world’s deadliest diseases.

A mathematician by training and systems thinker by instinct, Graham combines analytical rigour and human-centred design to tackle complex global challenges. He speaks Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese, and has taken the Giving What We Can Pledge to donate at least 10% of his lifetime income to effective charities.

Henry Haggard, Partner

Henry is a former U.S. diplomat and national security strategist who attained the rank of Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service over a twenty-five year career at the United States State Department. He is the founding partner of Seekonk LLC, a global strategy group, Senior Advisor at WestExec, Non-Resident Fellow at the Baker Institute, Rice University, Senior Associate of the KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS), and U.S. Senior Advisor at AMCHAM Korea. 

At Albion East, Henry leads our global aid advocacy work in East Asia for affiliates including major global philanthropies. He specialises in brokering strategic partnerships, public information campaigns, and the implementation of evidence-based developmental aid into complex operating environments.

Henry speaks fluent Korean and French and received a BA in International Relations from Brown University and a Masters of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He is the founder of The 25 Year Apprenticeship, a resource for diplomatic tradecraft.

Albion East was founded with a vision that everything we do should make a positive impact. That drives our focus to build bridges between cultures, and work to support the most vulnerable in the UK and around the world.

We want this to be part of our DNA, which is why we have taken the Giving What We Can Company Pledge to donate at least 10% of our profits to highly effective charities. Our promise to you is that as we work together, we’re truly partnering to make a difference.