Harry gets ANOTHER job: Prince joins Rupert Murdoch's daughter-in-law at Aspen Institute as one of 14 'commissioners' who will 'fight against misinformation'
- Prince Harry 1 of 15 members of Aspen Institute's new Commission on Information Disorder launched today
- He said: 'The experience of today's digital world has us inundated with an avalanche of misinformation, affecting our ability as individuals as well as societies to think clearly and truly understand the world'
- Commission is funded by controversial billionaire, Craig Newmark, founder of advert site Craigslist
- The Duke was unveiled Tuesday morning as the chief impact officer at BetterUp, a $1.73billion startup
- The role will see him weigh in on product strategy and charitable contributions but he won't manage a team
- BetterUp's boss has refused to say what the prince is being paid, but insists he is perfect for the 'meaty' role
Prince Harry has announced another new job today - his second in 48 hours - as a celebrity commissioner for an American study fighting the 'avalanche of misinformation' in the digital world funded by a controversial billionaire whose website was blamed for helping wipe out newspapers.
The Duke of Sussex is joining the left-leaning Aspen Institute's new Commission on Information Disorder in Washington DC along with 14 others including Kathryn Murdoch, the wife of Rupert Murdoch's son James, who resigned from his father's media empire last year.
His appointment came after he and his wife Meghan were accused of spreading misinformation about the Royal Family and why they quit in their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey this month.
The Aspen Institute is one of America's best known, and best funded think tanks, drawing cash for research from rich donors and big businesses, including Facebook.
The organisation, whose HQ is a few blocks from the White House, looks at all areas of US life and says its mission is to build a 'free, just, and equitable society'. But last year it was shamed after it was revealed its bosses accepted more than $8million in federal small-business funds during the pandemic - despite having a board of billionaire trustees and a $115million endowment. After a period of 'reflection', they handed the cash back.
Harry, who blames the press for emigrating to Los Angeles with his wife Meghan and son Archie last year, said in a statement today: 'As I've said, the experience of today's digital world has us inundated with an avalanche of misinformation, affecting our ability as individuals as well as societies to think clearly and truly understand the world we live in.
'It's my belief that this is a humanitarian issue and as such, it demands a multi-stakeholder response from advocacy voices, members of the media, academic researchers, and both government and civil society leaders. I'm eager to join this new Aspen commission and look forward to working on a solution-oriented approach to the information disorder crisis.'
The Sussexes, who have signed deals worth more than $100million with Netflix and Spotify, were accused of making various questionable statements during the Oprah interview, including claims about a secret wedding carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury three days before the official one at a chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. But their wedding certificate later proved this was a false statement. Claims about Archie being denied the title of prince and 24/7 security were also inaccurate.
Viacom CBS, who made the Oprah interview, were also accused of mangling and editing UK newspaper headlines to support its disputed claims about racist press coverage. ITV in the UK edited their version of the show because of accuracy concerns.
Harry's new role as a 'philanthropic leader' is part-time, and will involve regular meetings. Joining him on the panel will be former Texas congressman Will Hurd, Sue Gordon, the former principal deputy director of national intelligence in the US, and Kathryn Murdoch, the 'radical centrist' daughter-in-law of billionaire media mogul Rupert.
The commission is being funded by billionaire entrepreneur Craig Newmark, who founded the Craigslist, a classified adverts website branded a 'cesspool' after it emerged hundreds of crimes were facilitated as a result of contact via the site, including women exploited in a growing 'sex for rent' scandal during the coronavirus pandemic. Craigslist has also been accused of wiping out newspapers by taking away the classified adverts they relied on to stay afloat.
Prince Harry has announced another new job today - his second in 48 hours - joining Aspen Institute's new Commission on Information Disorder
Harry will work with Kathryn Murdoch, the wife of James Murdoch, the son of Rupert Mudoch who resigned all his roles with News Corp last year
The commission is being funded by billionaire entrepreneur Craig Newmark, who founded the Craigslist, a classified adverts website blamed, in part, for the demise of newspapers in the US
The Aspen Institute is one of America's best known, and best funded think tanks, drawing cash from rich donors and big businesses, including Facebook. The organisation's HQ is a few blocks from the White House
Just last month Tucker Carlson said a 'farcical' study that claimed there is no real censorship of American conservatives on social media could not be taken seriously because it had no 'reliable evidence to support it' and came from an organization funded, in part, by the philanthropy of Mr Newmark.
Today it emerged Harry started his first proper job at a Californian startup dubbed life coaching Tinder for millennials in January - but they waited to announce it until after his Oprah interview was watched by tens of millions around the globe.
Harry's newest position comes more than a fortnight after the Sussexes' bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which the couple both criticised the British media.
Harry said the UK tabloid media was 'bigoted' and created a 'toxic environment' of 'control and fear'.
James Murdoch's wife Kathryn is another famous name on the 15-strong panel with Harry.
She has voiced her agreement that her husband's family, which owns Fox News, must 'put their country above their profits' and disavow President Donald Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud.
Mrs Murdoch, 47, expressed the sentiment in a tweet in November, saying she agreed with CNN host Jake Tapper, who had stated: 'The Murdochs and the people at Fox have an obligation to put their country above their profits. It is very important that people make it very clear - that there is no credible evidence of widespread fraud.'
Her husband James stepped down from the board of Fox News parent News Corp in July, citing disagreements with some of the company's editorial content.
James is known as the liberal Murdoch son, while his brother Lachlan's views seem to be more aligned with those of his conservative father.
Earlier in 2020 Katrhryn spoke out about her 'radical centrist' politics in an interview with Politico's Women Rule podcast.
'This is the first time where I've really decided that I have a voice and I need to try to use it,' said Kathryn, who has long quietly supported climate change causes after Al Gore convinced her the issue was urgent in a 2006 presentation.
'The decisions we make in the next few years are going to have an impact on coming generations,' Kathryn said. 'I need to know that I've done everything that I can possibly do.'
Craigslist founder Craig Newmark is funding the Aspen Institute's new Commission on Information Disorder, with Harry its most high-profile member.
Two years ago Mr Newmark announced he was donating $20 million to the City University of New York's Graduate School of Journalism .
Newmark claimed he was doing it to build a sustainable future for trustworthy journalism.
The New York Times claims that Craigslist put a dent in newspaper classified ads and is often blamed, in part, for the industry's revenue decline.
Newmark says newspapers started losing circulation and revenue 'long before Craigslist.'
Craiglist, which is no longer run by Newmark, has been rocked by a series of scandals revealed by investigative journalism.
In January it emerged investors in the US website Craigslist are profiting from the exploitation of vulnerable young British women.
Men use the site to target university students – with some even specifying they seek 'Oxbridge' or 'first class' graduates.
Research from the charity Shelter suggests 30,000 women in the UK have been propositioned with explicit 'arrangements' since March. The arrangements are illegal and those convicted can be jailed for seven years, but there has never been a prosecution.
It was found that disgusting adverts are posted every day from across the UK – with a surge going online during lockdown.
In 2011 Craigslist was embroiled in a public row with a competitor after it branded the on-line classifieds website a 'cesspool of crime'.
Internet marketplace Oodle commissioned 'market research' which identified 300 crimes in 2010 which were facilitated as a result of contact via Craigslist.
They included 12 murders and 105 robberies and led Oodle to conclude that 'sadly Craigslist has become a cesspool of crime'.
Craigslist denied the claims as smears from a rival, but finally backed down after its founder Mr Newmark was criticised in a series of damaging TV interviews.
Who is on the Aspen panel with Prince Harry
The Commission on Information Disorder at the Aspen Institute in Washington is being led by three co-chairs:
Katie Couric: Journalist and author who was the first woman to anchor a network evening news show by herself. She worked for NBC, CBS and ABC, and co-founded Stand Up To Cancer.
Chris Krebs: Former chief of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency who was fired last November soon after saying the US election, contrary to Donald Trump's claims, was 'the most secure' in US history.
Rashad Robinson: Racial justice leader who is the president of Color Of Change, an organisation credited with getting tech platforms to implement anti-racist initiatives.
There are also 14 commissioners involved in the project in addition to Prince Harry as follows:
Marla Blow: Chief operating officer of the Skoll Foundation which invests in social entrepreneurs. She previously worked on the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth's efforts for an inclusive economy.
Aaron Ford: Nevada Attorney General who has served in state and local government for nearly a decade. His recent work includes promoting the state's 2020 election integrity and the safety of Covid-19 vaccinations.
Sue Gordon: A US national security leader and CIA officer of 30 years specialising in science and technology, who was a key advisor to Donald Trump and the National Security Council.
Yasmin Green: Director of research and development for Jigsaw, a unit within Alphabet Inc, formerly known as Google Ideas, who works in countering online radicalisation.
Will Hurd: Recently stepped down after six years as a congressman, where he focused on cybersecurity and emerging technologies. A former CIA clandestine operations officer.
Jameel Jaffer: An expert in free speech, privacy, and security who is executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and used to work for the American Civil Liberties Union.
Garry Kasparov: Russian-born former world chess champion who now lives in New York and is founder of the Renew Democracy Initiative and chairman of the Human Rights Foundation.
Herb Lin: Information warfare expert who is senior research scholar for cyber policy and security at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford.
Kathryn Murdoch: Climate activist, co-founder of the Quadrivium grant-making foundation and daughter-in-law of Rupert Murdoch through her marriage to his son James Murdoch.
Safiya Umoja Noble: Researcher on the design of digital media platforms and their impact on society, who is co-founder of the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry.
Deb Roy: Expert in applied machine learning, who is founding director of the MIT Center for Constructive Communication and was formerly chief media scientist for Twitter.
Alex Stamos: A tech security pioneer who is former chief security officer at Facebook, where he helped lead its response to Russia's attack on the 2016 US election, and at Yahoo.
Kate Starbird: Researcher who looks at how tech and society interact and is associate professor in the Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington.
Amanda Zamora: News executive who used to work for the Texas Tribune, ProPublica, and the Washington Post. She is now co-founder and publisher of non-profit news group The 19th.
Harry's latest job announcement came hours after it emerged he started his first proper job at a Californian startup dubbed life coaching Tinder for millennials in January - but they waited to announce it until after his Oprah interview was watched by tens of millions around the globe, it was revealed today.
The Duke of Sussex has been appointed 'chief impact officer' at mental health services business BetterUp by CEO Alexi Robichaux, who says his royal employee insists on everyone calling him Harry because they are all 'partners' in the business valued at $1.7billion.
The Duke will help to promote a wellness app used by corporate giants including Hilton, Facebook, NASA, confectionery giant Mars and oil firm Chevron to improve the wellbeing of their staff.
Harry, whose new role at the firm could command a seven-figure salary plus share options, was introduced to the BetterUp co-founder through unnamed mutual friend last year, and after they weighed up 'four buckets of opportunities', they agreed to start working together, Mr Robichaux said today.
He said: 'He's been in the role for a couple of months, and we're so excited to share the news with the world. We're partners here, he likes to be called Harry in the workplace, so we just address him as Harry.'
Brand expert Mark Bukowski told MailOnline that timing the announcement for after the Oprah interview generated free publicity worth millions of dollars for the startup, and could help Harry cash in if he has shares in the business.
Tech-CEO Mr Robichaux, who likes to quote Einstein and Marcus Aurelius and once gave a presentation on his business to leading scientists and academics while wearing a spacesuit, told Sky News today: 'We were just so impressed, and really I think there was such a natural chemistry and synergy around the insights and the contributions he can make creatively to BetterUp in ensuring that we achieve our mission.
'Bigger than commercial success, this is about global impact, and so as we crafted the role together, those four buckets of opportunities, we came to the title 'chief impact officer', really denoting that he's focused on our mission and he's focused on ensuring that we're doing everything we can to achieve our mission on a bigger and larger and grander scale to impact the lives of more people.'
He added: 'He's also helping to work on everything from product design to product strategy, to co-creating content and the experience for our members and helping with partnerships, like creating some new content for our users related to mental toughness and mental fitness as well.'
Harry's first real job will see him spending time at the firm's San Francisco office - when Covid-19 allows - where the prince can take part in weekly office yoga sessions, beat a punch bag when he's frustrated or pet the office dog 'Gordo' when he's concerned about his 'wellness'. He can also bring his dogs Guy and Pula to work if he likes.
BetterUp also throws regular onesie-fancy dress parties for staff, including at Halloween - but if this gets too much for the prince he can relax using some of his five 'inner work' days a year - on top of his holiday days - to focus on 'personalised growth' by hiking in California, reading books or doing volunteer work.
His new office has sofas to flop on during a hard day and games to play when staff need a break, with one employee, Lily, saying the office was designed for both work and play. She said: 'When one of us is flourishing, the whole team gets stronger. So every decision we made about what to put in the office had those baselines in mind'.
Harry's CEO, a devout Christian fluent in Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew, said he had experimented with therapy and life coaching in his twenties and the idea for BetterUp came to him while on a pilgrimage of self-reflection to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. His mantra is: 'I don't believe technology is the enemy when used right.'
Prince Harry announced his first job in the corporate world yesterday by revealing he had taken an executive position at a Silicon Valley start-up that claims to be worth $1.7billion.
Robichaux's company uses a app-based system for workers to swipe through 2,000-plus life coaches to find the one they want - in a similar format to Tinder.
Mr Robichaux has declined to say how much the royal will be paid, although similar roles at other California firms would command six or seven-figure salaries.
PR guru Mark Bukowski told MailOnline it is yet another step for the Sussexes towards the building of their dream of a billion dollar brand in the US, after big money deals with Netflix and Spotify.
He said the deal is worth millions to the startup in free publicity, adding: 'If he's done a good deal with a salary as well as shares in the business, it will probably make millions for Harry too.'
Harry was introduced to Mr Robichaux through an unnamed mutual friend - and it is not yet known if he has invested in the company, where other backers include the Dubai sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Capital and Olympic snowboarder Shaun White.
Executives who join American start-ups are often awarded large share options which can make them multi-millionaires when the company sells up or floats - regardless of whether they invest in the firm.
In a statement introducing himself to his new colleagues, Harry also revealed that every employee of his Archewell foundation will get access to its services.
Mr Robichaux said Harry has already helped make decisions at the business, including at a recent strategy meeting where he 'recommended that executives frame the tool in terms of resilience and overcoming adversity and setbacks in a challenging time'.
He added that the sixth-in-line to the British throne 'comes from a very different background' to his colleagues.
BetterUp is thought to charge companies about $2,000 (£1,450) per worker for six months of executive coaching, and has more than 200 employees and 2,000 contract coaches on its books.
Mr Robichaux - who is in his 30s and grew up in Dallas, Texas, where his father was a biblical linguist father and his Greek immigrant mother worked for Texas Instruments - has compared the app to a life coaching Tinder for millennials to keep them happy at work.
He has spoken about his Christian beliefs and said the firm came to him as an epiphany while doing the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail in Spain, and attended the University of Southern California (USC) along with co-founder Eduardo Medina.
Harry, who has served in the British Army but has no corporate experience, will not manage any employees but will be expected to appear at special company events and spend time at the firm's San Francisco offices for meetings once Covid restrictions are lifted.
The Duke, 36, revealed he has been using BetterUp's services including talking to one of its 'truly awesome' coaches for a couple of months who gave him 'sound advice and a fresh perspective'.
He wrote in a blog post how he will focus on 'driving advocacy and awareness for mental fitness', helping to guide the firm's 'social mission and impact', 'influencing the vision of BetterUp's platform, community and member experience' and expand its 'global community of thought leadership, coaches, customers, and members through outreach and strategic planning'.
Explaining why he took the job, Harry told the Wall Street Journal in a suitably corporate response: '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'.
Mr Bukowski added: 'He's got this woke job title of Chief Impact Officer and today's announcement has done just that for the company, had a huge impact.
'This announcement is worth millions to this startup in free publicity and if he's done a good deal with a salary as well as shares in the business, it will probably make millions for Harry too.
'He could never have done this deal if he was still a working member of the Royal Family. They've announced the job just after the Oprah interview, amid an outpouring of support for the couple in the US. They're on a crest of a wave there. If the company is as good as Harry says, it is a smart move. But if it's a pile of poop, he won't have to many more chances to cash in.'
He added: 'If people weren't clear on Harry and Meghan's business strategy, they should be now.'
He added: 'This is about acknowledging that it isn't so much what is wrong with us, but more about what has happened to us over the course of life. Often because of societal barriers, financial difficulty, or stigma, too many people aren't able to focus on their mental health until they're forced to. I want us to move away from the idea that you have to feel broken before reaching out for help'.
The prince, who says he has been using BetterUp's app since January, began talks with them about a role last autumn after being introduced to USC graduate Mr Robichaux 'through a mutual friend'.
BetterUp employs therapists and executive coaches on contracts, who are paired with clients to provide mental health coaching by video link through the app. Most of its clients are in the United States, but it does have executive coaches employed in the UK.
The tech firm that works with corporate giants including Facebook, Google, Snap Inc, NASA, Hilton and Warner Brothers. There will be some raised eyebrows because Harry has spoken widely on the need to protect the environment, but BetterUp has also worked with oil giant Chevron.
A list of values on BetterUp's website including: 'courage, playfulness, empathy, craftspersonship, grit and zest.'
MailOnline understands that Google offered leadership coaching to staff through Better Up in 2020. Access to the app, including virtual classes, costs $3,600 per person for 12 months membership.
The company's boss Alexi Robichaux says that Harry is an ideal fit for this latest 'meaty role'.
The business, founded in 2013, sells its app and services to big businesses with more than 10,000 employees, who can tap into a network of 2,000-plus life coaches whose aim is to help improve their happiness at work and at home, the company says.
Facebook and LinkedIn are paying for expensive on-the-clock 'coaching', where their workers can hold virtual meets with therapists to help them cope better with stress and set goals to achieve in their jobs.
BetterUp claimed in February it raised $125million in their latest round of fundraising, taking its valuation to $1.73 billion.
The investment round was led by ICONIQ Growth, along with existing investor Lightspeed Venture Partners among others, and new investors including Salesforce Ventures and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Capital.
They have raised $300million in total from venture capitalists, but are yet to report any results,
A statement on the company's website said: '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.'
The role will see the Duke weigh in on product strategy, charitable contributions and speak about mental health.
He will not be in charge of other workers or handle reports directly, but will go to San Francisco to work when Covid is over.
His latest title is rare, with few corporate companies having such positions. It is more often used at nonprofit firms.
BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux, who met Harry through a friend last year, said: 'It's a meaningful and meaty role.'
Since it was founded seven years ago, it has built a network of 2,000 coaches and has 270 other employees. The company says it is worth $1.7billion because of it has 100,000 corporate members.
It says that that need for more executive coaching, and virtual sessions because of lockdown, has further improved its position in the market.
The businessman would not be drawn on how much the Duke will earn and did not reveal details of his employment.
The new job came just over a fortnight after the Sussexes' bombshell interview with Oprah, where Harry said he was persuaded to sign multi-million dollar deals with Netflix and Spotify when he was 'literally cut off financially' from the Royal Family.
When things get stressful, Harry can get his gym clothes out and roll out a mat for some yoga at a weekly session run by the company
Staff are treated to regular fancy dress parties, including ones where they drank beer and wine and dressed as unicorns and monkeys
Harry can pet the office dog 'Gordo' (pictured) when he's concerned about his 'wellness' and can also bring his dogs Guy and Pula to work if he likes
Inside the office: BetterUp's San Francisco offices include numerous sofas, exercise equipment and a punching bag
There is plenty of room for Harry to flop on a sofa and chat to colleagues - but workers are also encouraged to take five 'inner work' days a year to wind down
Harry, who has served in the British Army but has no corporate experience, will not manage any employees but will be expected to appear at special company events and spend time at the company's San Francisco HQ for meetings once Covid restrictions are lifted (pictured)
A statement on the company's website said: 'Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex is a humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist'
Harry was introduced to CEO Alexi Robichaux (top left) through a mutual friend. He has refused to say how much Harry (top right) will be paid. Harry is listed on the company website with Mr Robichaux's co-founder, Eduardo Medina (top centre)
The company's chief executive Alexi Robichaux has declined to say how much the royal will be paid
Eduardo Medina is also a USC graduate who worked at management consultant companies Altamont Capital Partners
Harry's told Oprah that he has been forced to seek corporate work after his father Prince Charles 'cut him off' financially after they emigrated to Canada and then on to LA
The Duke of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey that shortly after he and the duchess announced their wish to step back as senior members of the Royal family and spend time overseas, he stopped receiving income from palace.
Harry added that, had it not been for money left for him by his late mother, Princess Diana, he would have been unable to pay for security to protect his family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex raised eyebrows when they announced in September a deal worth an estimated £75million to make programmes for streaming giant Netflix, despite citing a lack of privacy as one reason for quitting the Royal Family.
In December, the couple announced a second high-profile partnership - this time a multi-year deal with global audio streaming behemoth Spotify.
The deal, which experts estimated could be worth around £18million, will see Harry and Meghan make and host a number of podcasts for Spotify's 320million monthly active users on a variety of subjects to help listeners 'connect to one another without distraction.'
Asked about the lucrative partnerships during the interview, Harry told Miss Winfrey that they were 'never part of the plan' but instead were suggested by a 'friend' when they feared financial issues.
'My family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford, afford security, for us,' he said. 'But I've got what my mum left me, and, without that, we would not have been able to do this.'
He added of the issues he has faced in recent years: 'I think she saw it coming.'
Prior to stepping back from royal duties in December 2019, Prince Harry received the vast majority of his income from the Duchy of Cornwall, a portfolio of property and financial investments managed by his father, Prince Charles. For the financial year 2018/19 this was more than £5million. It is believed Prince Charles, who initially continued to fund the couple, withdrew financial support from the Duchy last year when it became clear their move to the US was permanent.
About 5 per cent of the couple's income came from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant.
However after their decision became public, Buckingham Palace announced the couple would no longer receive public money.
The Home Office also funded the couple's Metropolitan Police security detail, however this was withdrawn when they permanently relocated, leaving the couple to foot the bill for their own security at an estimated £4million-a-year.
Last year, the couple paid back the £2.4million cost of refurbishing Frogmore Cottage after it was initially covered by the taxpayer, as well as taking on a £7.5million mortgage on their California home.
Harry was left about £6.5million when his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in 1997. It is thought to have matured to around £10million by the time of his 30th birthday.
Asked by Miss Winfrey about the perception that the couple could be seen as 'money-grabbing royals,' Harry said: 'We're certainly not complaining. Our life is great now.'
He added that 'all I needed was enough money to be able to pay for security to keep my family safe.'
The couple have set up their own company, Archewell, which encompasses a not-for-profit enterprise as well as their production companies for audio and video content.
It aims to drive 'systemic cultural change across all communities, one act of compassion at a time.'
Last year, the duchess took on one of her first major media engagements since stepping back as a senior royal, narrating a Disney nature documentary about elephants.
Prince Harry's statement about why he's joining BetterUp
First of all, I am really excited to be joining the BetterUp team and community! Thanks for having me.
I firmly believe that focusing on and prioritising our mental fitness unlocks potential and opportunity that we never knew we had inside of us. As the Royal Marine Commandos say, 'It's a state of mind.' We all have it in us.
Being attuned with your mind, and having a support structure around you, are critical to finding your own version of peak performance.
What I've learned in my own life is the power of transforming pain into purpose.
During my decade in the military, I learned 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.
When I first met Alexi, we instantly recognised a shared passion for helping others realise their full potential. As our conversations continued, it became even more clear that we hold a similar philosophy on mental health: that we must proactively take care of our minds.
In addition to this shared philosophy, what caught my attention about BetterUp was that the company's mission to unlock the potential in people everywhere necessitates innovation, impact, and integrity. Their team has been delivering on that work for years. I was also impressed by the scale and opportunity for impact – the ability to change millions of people's lives for the better, through a combination of human connection, leading technology, and behavioural science.
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.
As BetterUp's first Chief Impact Officer, my goal is to lift up critical dialogues around mental health, build supportive and compassionate communities, and foster an environment for honest and vulnerable conversations. And my hope is to help people develop their inner strength, resilience, and confidence.
In this new role, I'll be focused on four key areas:
- Driving advocacy and awareness for mental fitness. We can and will elevate the global conversation around our mental health. What we're doing is about equipping people to thrive. Whether you're performing at the highest level, or want to get to the next level, or just want to get started, it's all about having the specialised resources, preparation, and human connection to back you up — whatever the challenge.
- Guiding BetterUp's social mission and impact to bring the science of peak performance and human potential into the hands of people worldwide.
- Influencing the vision of BetterUp's platform, community, and member experience. I'm excited to help shape their already extensive library with content and resources on mental fitness and to share new stories and voices. To start, I've invited BetterUp to work with 'Peak State: Mental Fitness', a platform I helped establish which provides practical online tools to enhance our mental fitness.
- Expanding BetterUp's global community of thought leadership, coaches, customers, and members through outreach and strategic planning.
Self-optimisation is not about fixing something that's broken. It's about becoming the best version of ourselves, with whatever life throws at us — someone who is ready for the next challenge and can meet setbacks with courage, confidence, and self-awareness.
This is what BetterUp is making possible, and I look forward to being on this journey with you.
Join the community to get access to insights, advice, and tools on reaching your true potential, and be the first to learn about new content and programmes on mental fitness and resilience that I'll be developing.
No comments: