Prince Harry joins $1.7bn US counselling startup as chief impact officer

Gulf Today Report

Prince Harry has joined the corporate world as employee coaching and mental health firm BetterUp Inc.'s Chief Impact Officer, at a San Francisco startup that provides mobile-based coaching, counselling and mentorship.

Financial terms of his employment were undisclosed.

Amid a highly public spat with Buckingham Palace, Harry and his American wife Meghan Markle, a mixed-race former television actress, now live in California after stepping away from royal duties, according to AFP.

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BetterUp, based in San Francisco, works with employees from companies including Mars, AB InBev and LinkedIn on coaching and mental health services.

An explosive interview they gave to Oprah Winfrey this month — in which they claimed an unnamed royal had asked how dark their baby's skin would be — plunged the monarchy into its biggest crisis since the death of Harry's mother, princess Diana, in 1997.

Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan Markle. File photo

BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux said the Duke of Sussex is a good fit for the company because of "his model of inspiration and impact through action."

In his new role with BetterUp, the Duke of Sussex will champion the importance of maximizing human potential worldwide, according to chief executive Alexi Robichaux.

"I firmly believe that focusing on and prioritising our mental fitness unlocks potential and opportunity that we never knew we had inside of us," Prince Harry said in a BetterUp blog post.

"As the Royal Marine Commandos say, 'It's a state of mind.' We all have it in us."

BetterUp's platform combines behavioral science, artificial intelligence, and human coaching to optimize personal growth and professional development, according to the company, which last month announced it had raised $125 million in funding at a valuation of $1.73 billion.

In his new job, the prince -- who said he had used the BetterUp platform himself — will not manage employees or have direct reports, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Founded in 2013, BetterUp has grown to more than 270 employees and a network of some 2,000 coaches.

A list of its clients included NASA, Chevron, Mars, Genentech, Snap, and Warner Media.

Since leaving their roles as working royals, Harry and Meghan have already signed lucrative digital media deals to capitalize on their celebrity -- one to produce content for Netflix, and another to present podcasts for Spotify.

They have spoken of their desire "to do something of meaning, to do something that matters," in California, where they have launched a wide-ranging non-profit organization named Archewell.