Prince Harry joins US coaching firm BetterUp as chief impact officer

On 23 March 2021, BetterUp, a San Francisco-based company offering coaching and mental health services, announced that Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, had joined it as chief impact officer. It was his first major corporate role since he and his wife Meghan stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and moved to California.

The company sells coaching, largely to employers, and says it uses science-based methods to support wellbeing and performance. Harry said he would help shape the firm's work on mental fitness and on making support more widely available. He had long campaigned on mental health, including through the Heads Together charity initiative and his work with veterans.

The appointment drew attention because it marked a clear step into private-sector work for a member of the royal family living abroad. Supporters saw it as a natural extension of his advocacy, while some critics questioned the mix of a commercial business with a royal title and public profile. The role became one of several ventures Harry pursued in the United States after leaving royal duties.