Prince Harry gets new job with £1bn professional coaching company

Prince Harry has got a new job – with a professional coaching company in Silicon Valley, valued at more than £1bn.

It was confirmed on Tuesday 23 March, Harry is to become the chief impact officer for BetterUp, a mental health and professional coaching start-up based in San Francisco.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Harry said of the new role: "I intend to help create impact in people’s lives.

"Proactive coaching provides endless possibilities for personal development, increased awareness, and an all-round better life."

Harry, 36, was added to the BetterUp website on the company's leadership team section.

The royal's bio reads: "Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex is a humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist.

"As co-founder of Archewell, he is focused on driving systemic change across all communities through non-profit work as well as creative activations. The mission across Archewell—which currently includes Archewell Foundation, Archewell Productions, and Archewell Audio—is united behind the deeply held belief that compassion is the defining cultural force of the 21st century.

"Prince Harry has dedicated his life’s work to advancing causes that he is passionate about. He is the Founder of The Invictus Games, a platform for wounded, injured and sick service personnel to use sport as part of their rehabilitation, as well as Travalyst, a non-profit entity comprised of several of the largest online travel agencies in the world.

"Additionally, he co-founded Sentebale with his dear friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, in memory of their mothers’ charitable work in combating the HIV crisis, and serves as President of African Parks, a non-governmental organization focused on protecting Africa’s ecosystems in partnership with local communities and governments."

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Harry's new job is said to involve product strategy and public advocacy, with founder Alexi Robichaux telling the WSJ it was a "meaty role".

The duke was a fan of the company's app before his appointment and was introduced to Robichaux by a mutual friend.

Details of how much the duke will be paid and whether he has a contract or a permanent role have not been revealed, but Robichaux said he would be an "officer of the corporation".

Harry will likely spend time in the company's headquarters when it's safe and appear at some events, but won't manage any employees.

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Writing in a blog on the firm's website, Harry referenced his decade in the military as the source of his passion for good "mental fitness", and said "focusing on and prioritising our mental fitness unlocks potential and opportunity that we never knew we had inside of us".

He said: "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. And because we believe in strengthening our own mental fitness, our entire Archewell team also has access to BetterUp coaching."

Harry named four goals in his role, saying he wants to drive advocacy and awareness for mental fitness, guide the company's social mission and impact, influence the vision of the firm's platform, community, and member experience and expand its community of "thought leadership, coaches, customers, and members".

BetterUp says it "helps your people identify their strengths, achieve their goals, and reach their full potential" by combining "coaching with dynamic and personalised digital experiences to accelerate members’ long-term professional development and drive personal growth".

NASA are among the clients of the company, which was set up by Robichaux and Eduardo Medina in 2013 and is now valued at more than £1.25bn.

According to Business Wire, BetterUp raised $125m (£90m) by February 2021, which brought the company's value to $1.75bn (£1.25bn).

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The new job announcement comes a day after Harry and his wife Meghan Markle confirmed personnel changes at their own non-profit organisation, Archewell.

They lost their executive director, Catherine St-Laurent, who has stepped back after 11 months, leading to a promotion for the UK spokesman, James Holt.

It's not clear how Harry's new role with BetterUp will fit with his time spent on Archewell, which will manage the charitable and philanthropic work of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Harry has also committed to producing podcasts for Spotify and documentaries, scripted series and children's programming for Netflix, in deals thought to be worth several million dollars.

Harry and Meghan now live in Santa Barbara, and are expecting their second child later this year.

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