Prince Harry hosts ‘Beyond Burnout’ session and poses with The Office star Mindy Kaling at BetterUp summit in San Francisco as life-coaching firm’s Chief Impact Officer
Prince Harry met The Office star Mindy Kaling during a ‘Beyond Burnout’ session at a summit held by life coaching company BetterUp in his role as ‘chief impact officer’.
The Duke of Sussex spoke on a panel in San Francisco, where the company is based, about dealing with “the pressures of today’s world and modern business.”
Harry was accompanied by Dr. Adam Grant, BetterUp’s chairman of the Center for Purpose and Performance, and Kelly Jones, chief people officer at technology company Cisco.
A photo on Harry’s website Sussex.com also showed him with actress Kaling, who also appeared on his wife Meghan’s Spotify podcast Archetypes.
The session was called ‘Beyond Burnout: Transforming C-Level Stress Into Strength’, where the American term ‘C-level’ referred to the most important ‘chief’ roles at a company such as chief executive, chief operating officer and chief financial officer. .
Prince Harry posed with The Office actress Mindy Kaling yesterday during his appearance at the ‘Beyond Burnout: Transforming C-Level Stress Into Strength’ session in San Francisco
(From left): Dr. Adam Grant, BetterUp’s Chairman of the Center for Purpose and Performance; Kelly Jones, Cisco’s chief people officer; Harry; and BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux
Prince Harry speaks yesterday with Kelly Jones of Cisco and Dr. Adam Grant of BetterUp
Prince Harry spoke at a BetterUp summit in his role as chief impact officer
They looked at “how C-level leaders manage the unique pressures of their role, build resilience and foster a culture that supports sustainable performance.”
Referring to his conversation with Dr. Grant and Mrs. Jones, a post on Harry’s website sussex.com said: ‘The trio delved into the psychological toll of leading through uncertainty, sharing personal anecdotes, evidence-based practices and progressive policies aimed at helping leaders thrive amid the pressures of today’s world and modern business.’
The summit “focused on courageous leadership” and provided a “unique forum for C-suite leaders, business leaders and HR professionals and advocates.”
Harry started his role at US professional coaching and mental health company BetterUp in March 2021.
Founded in 2013, BetterUp provides mobile professional coaching, counseling and mentorship.
The website says it has a network of more than 3,000 coaches offering coaching in 60 languages in 70 countries.
Harry took the job about two weeks after the Sussexes’ impressive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The role was one of Harry’s moves into the business world after he and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals in “Megxit” in March 2020.
The couple, who temporarily moved to Canada, are now based in Montecito, California with their son Archie and daughter Lilibet.
In August last year, it was reported that BetterUp staff had questioned Harry’s position at the company, with some claiming he had become a ‘distraction’.
The staff is said to have turned against Duke — who reportedly earns a seven-figure salary at the company — after more than 100 San Francisco-based BetterUp employees were laid off earlier that year.
According to The Daily Beast, the duke became a “target” for angry BetterUp employees. A former employee said he initially thought Harry’s arrival was ‘cool’.
But they added that staff soon began to find him a distraction, with many fearing his ongoing dramas could impact the company’s reputation.
The employee said, “Each article states its role at BetterUp and then goes on [him and Meghan Markle]…The juice isn’t worth squeezing.”
Another said the company mistreats its staff while pushing “woke” references.
“We’re all here because of the same bull**** story they keep telling us: ‘We’re mission-driven and the mission is going to change the world,’” the employee said.
Harry’s widely known work at BetterUp appears to consist mainly of speaking engagements.