Publications
He said he wanted to become financially independent when he left his life as a working royal – and Prince Harry has now officially entered the world of the employed masses.
The Duke of Sussex has been hired as the chief impact officer for BetterUp – a Silicon Valley start-up which provides professional coaching, mental health advice and “immersive learning”.
The $1 billion company, which was formed in 2013, said it recognises Harry as a “humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate and environmentalist”.
His duties will include improving product strategy and win over charitable collaborations.
Explaining his reasons for joining BetterUp in a company blog post, Harry said he recognised a “shared passion” for helping people in the company’s CEO, Alexi Robichaux.
The two met a year ago when Harry himself signed up for coaching with the company.
“I’ve personally found working with a BetterUp coach to be invaluable. I was matched with a truly awesome coach who has given me sound advice and a fresh perspective,” he said.
Commenting on his new role in a press release, Harry said, “I firmly believe that focusing on and prioritising our mental fitness unlocks potential and opportunity that we never knew we had inside of us.”
He referenced his past experience as a soldier in the British army.
“As the Royal Marine Commandos say, ‘It’s a state of mind’. We all have it in us. What I’ve learnt in my own life is the power of transforming pain into purpose.
“During my decade in the military, I learnt that we don’t just need to build physical resilience, but also mental resilience. And in the years since, my understanding of what resilience means – and how we can build it – has been shaped by the thousands of people and experts I’ve been fortunate to meet and learn from.”
“It’s a meaningful and meaty role,” added Robichaux, who has not divulged what Harry will be paid or if he’s been given shares in the business.
It’s the royal’s first position in the private sector since stepping down as a working royal last year along with his wife, Meghan Markle.
Mental health has long been a passion of the prince and as Robichaux says, “Harry is synonymous with this approach of mental fitness and really investing in yourself. It was not a hard internal sale.”
Harry’s job adds to the couple’s already impressive commercial portfolio which already has multi-million-dollar deals to provide content for streaming services Spotify and Netflix.
Sources: theguardian.com, edition.cnn.com, dailymail.co.uk
