Hi, I’m the new Chief Impact Officer! Harry lands a job
PRINCE Harry has landed his first job since quitting as a royal.
He is to become an executive at a Silicon Valley life-coaching firm in a deal which could net him millions.
Harry has been appointed ‘chief impact officer’ for San Francisco-based start-up BetterUp Inc. As well as having a full say in ‘strategic’ decisions, the prince – who had vowed not to cash in on his royal credentials – will become a public face for the business. His photograph is already prominently displayed on the firm’s website alongside the words ‘Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex’.
The firm’s founder has refused to say whether Harry is being paid a salary.
Industry insiders suggest he is more likely to have been given equity in the company, which is valued at up to £1.25billion, despite never having worked in the corporate world.
The new role comes on the back of lucrative deals for the Sussexes following their controversial move to California. They are making programmes and podcasts for media companies Netflix and Spotify, while Meghan has invested in a firm making ‘wellness lattes’.
In a statement, Harry said he was excited to be joining BetterUp and proclaimed that he wanted to ‘lift up critical dialogues around mental health, build supportive and compassionate communities, and foster an environment for honest and vulnerable conversations’. He added: ‘Self-optimisation is not about fixing something that’s broken. It’s about becoming the best version of ourselves, with whatever life throws at us – someone who is ready for the next challenge and can meet setbacks with courage, confidence and self-awareness.’
Harry, 36, who has spoken openly about his own mental health issues and how he sought professional help to cope with the loss of his mother, Princess Diana, told the Wall Street Journal that he had been using BetterUp’s app and a coach for several months.
The Wall Street Journal added: ‘ The role is the latest foray into business for the duke who, with his wife, Meghan Markle, relinquished roles as full-time working members of the British monarchy and have tapped into their celebrity with a string of lucrative deals.’
It quoted Harry as saying: ‘I intend to help create impact in people’s lives.’
BetterUp chief executive Alexi Robichaux said he was introduced to Harry through a mutual friend and began to speak about the role with him last autumn. He insisted the prince’s appointment wasn’t just window dress
ing because of who he is, saying: ‘It’s a meaningful and meaty role.’
The job of chief impact officer is rare in the corporate world but more common in charity sector, where it can command a salary of £80,000 upwards. However, the true worth of Harry’s deal could run into the tens of millions.
Mr Robichaux declined to tell the Wall Street Journal how Prince Harry would be compensated, or any details of his employment agreement, but said he would be joining the firm’s leadership team as an ‘officer of the corporation’.
The US newspaper made clear that the prince would not manage any employees, but is likely to spend time in the company’s San Francisco headquarters once it is safe to do so, and to participate in meetings. Significantly, Mr Robichaux said he is also expected to appear at special company events – indicating Harry will become a ‘face’ of the brand.
He admitted that the company had been attracted to the prince by his ‘prior advocacy work as a member of the Royal Family’, particularly in the arena of mental health, as well as his experience in the military, and argued that Harry ‘could bring a different perspective to the company’ as ‘he comes from a very different background’.
Highlighting his own mental health mantra, Harry said he wanted to encourage people not to feel embarrassed seeking help, adding: ‘Often because of societal barriers, financial difficulty, or stigma, too many people aren’t able to focus on their mental health until they’re forced to.
‘I want us to move away from the idea that you have to feel broken before reaching out for help.’
Mr Robichaux said senior executives were keen to have Harry on board. ‘He will obviously have the whole organisation sprinting to help him,’ he said.
The company’s app – which includes virtual classes – costs £2,600 a year. There is also a network of more than 2,000 coaches. It has already been used by a number of large companies.