Prince Harry finds work in Silicon Valley as a manager in BetterUp, a ‘unicorn’ worth over a billion dollars active in professional coaching and counseling on psychological wellbeing in the workplace. The new job allows the Duke of Sussex to further reclaim his independence from the British royal family, and adds to the multi-million dollar deals he signed with his wife Meghan with Netflix and Spotify. In his new capacity as chief impact officer, the prince will contribute to decisions on BetterUp’s product strategy and charitable initiatives. Harry’s is still a rare office even in progressive Silicon Valley but one that is gaining increasing popularity.
Even a giant like Salesforce (the cloud computing company operating in 36 countries) has its own ‘chimpos’ – the nickname given to the role of chief impact officer – whose duties also include promoting a “positive social impact within the company. between customers, partners and the community “. Harry, who will not directly manage BetterUp’s employees, will likely spend time in San Francisco, the company’s headquarters, as soon as conditions are in place for a safe return to the office after the pandemic. “I want to help make an impact on people’s lives,” Harry told The Wall Street Journal, explaining why he decided to take the job. “Very often because of social barriers, financial hardship or fear of being stigmatized, many don’t focus on their mental health until they are forced to.” you have to feel destroyed and exhausted before asking for help “.
Mental problems are one of the issues that have been most dear to the prince for years, as also emerged during the shock interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which his wife Meghan revealed that she had thought about suicide in her darkest days interior of the royal family. Harry, for his part, did not hide his personal difficulties in dealing with his mother’s grief, with all the psychological consequences that this entailed him.
The prince arrived at BetterUp after meeting the CEO of the startup. “We were introduced by a mutual friend,” said Alexi Robichaux without disclosing what Harry’s compensation will be or whether the Duke of Sussex will receive shares in the company. The prince at BetterUp brings a different and new perspective having a very different experience behind him from other managers. And its entry translates for the startup into a new ‘real aura’ that can potentially attract a greater number of customers and investors.