HENRY HAGGARD is the Founding Principal of Seekonk Global Strategy Group. He is a former U.S. diplomat who completed a twenty-five-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, retiring at the rank of Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service. Henry is a Principal at WestExec Advisors, Non-Resident Fellow at the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies (CES) at Rice University, Senior Associate Researcher with the KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS), Senior Fellow at Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), Partner at Albion East Global Development Consultants, and Senior Advisor at AI Diplomatic Engagement Network (ADEN).
From 2021-2023, he served as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the United States Embassy in Seoul, where he managed the bilateral security relationship with South Korea. Previous assignments include Director for European Affairs at the White House National Security Council under the Trump and Biden administrations coordinating United States policy and engagement with Turkey and the United Kingdom, and Director for Energy Diplomacy for Asia and the Middle East, where he built the U.S.-Japan-Korea trilateral energy cooperation in support of the Camp David Summit. He participated in four diplomatic missions to North Korea between 2000-2008.
Henry speaks fluent Korean and French and received a BA in International Relations from Brown University and an MA in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. He founded The Twenty-Five Year Apprenticeship, a resource for diplomatic tradecraft and frequently contributes to news and media on global affairs and the Korean peninsula. CV
CHRIS McKINNEY is a Senior Advisor at Seekonk Global Strategy Group. A former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Wall Street trader, and Army Ranger, he brings extensive experience at the intersection of diplomacy and business. His State Department career included assignments in Washington, Brussels, Berlin, Bogota, and Islamabad, where he led teams focused on energy, trade, investment, cybersecurity, and geopolitical risk.
Before government service, he worked for more than ten years as a derivatives trader at the Intercontinental Exchange, NYBOT, and COMEX in New York.
Chris holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Harvard University. His work at Seekonk centers on strategic advisory, market entry, and risk management for clients operating in complex global environments. CV
JESSICA BRAUN is a Partner at Seekonk Global Strategy Group and directs operations, communications, and design. Jessica leads STARTUP, a step-by-step guide to set-up a portfolio-based consultation business. Previous work includes siloet.co, University of California Press, and Y&R (now VMLY&R).
Jessica received a BA in Biological Science from Brown University, and a BFA in Graphic Design from CCAC.