Prince Harry and Meghan have have hired two new senior advisers as they continue to establish their careers away from royal life, with one of them having a close connection to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Meghan Markle has been making huge strides in her career recently(Image: Getty)
Meghan Markle has appointed her first chief of staff, as the Duchess and Prince Harry’s office are set to undergo a major shake-up. It has been announced that Sarah Fosmo will be her most senior advisor amid her career.
Sarah, 45, boasts an impressive CV having previous worked for Gates Ventures, Bill Gates’ private office, in executive administration for six years. She also spent seven years working for American motivational speaker Tony Robbins, as a senior executive assistant prior.
It comes amid Meghan making waves in her career, following the launch of her Netflix show and podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, as well as the rebrand of her lifestyle company, As Ever. Sarah will now be on hand to oversee all these projects.
Prince Harry has also recently promoted one of his most senior members of staff, Lianne Cashin, former executive assistant and Archewell’s head of operations, who has been promoted to a ‘senior consultant’ after Josh Kettler left, as reported by the Mirror.
Lianne will be responsible for navigating Harry through his career, after him and Meghan left the UK and royal roles behind in 2020. According to the Telegraph, she will also have played a pivotal role in arranging Harry’s BBC interview last week, in which he spoke candidly about the ongoing rift with his father King Charles and complained of an “establishment stitch-up” after losing his legal appeal against the Government over security provision. A source told the publication: “Sarah and Lianne exemplify the strength and vision driving the Duke and Duchess forward.”
Meghan and Harry left the UK in 2020.(Image: Getty Images)
The insider further said that Harry and Meghan consider themselves fortunate to have two “exceptional leaders” in Ms Fosmo and Ms Cashin, adding: “Sarah, our proud senior hire as chief of staff for the Duchess of Sussex, brings a wealth of experience perfectly suited to guide the Sussexes’ ambitious ventures, including a new business, podcast, and television project. Her expertise and steady leadership are critical to navigating this dynamic period of growth.”
Ms Cashin, meanwhile, has become a valued consultant and provided “deep operational insight for key projects”. It follows various claims against the Sussexes regarding their staff’s tenure and their “apparent inability to attract and retain the right staff”.
Royal author Tom Quinn previously spoke to the Mirror about Josh Kettler’s departure and said his abrupt exit came as “no surprise”. He said: “In the years since Meghan and Harry married in 2018, they are estimated to have lost a staggering amount of key members of staff. One former employee told me the problem is that Meghan and Harry always assume that it is as easy to do something as it is to tell someone to do it. The couple hates being told something is just not possible.
“Kettler had been seen as having the golden touch. Harry believed his new chief of staff could reverse his declining popularity in the States and transform him into an internationally important figure. Anything less than that would not be acceptable.”
Tom further claimed that Mr Kettler’s departure had been a “serious blow” and not just because the couple were “now rudderless once again”. He added: “What makes Kettler’s departure really embarrassing for the royal couple is that word is beginning to get around and one or two people who have been approached by them have turned down the chance to work for them.
“The real issue is that Kettler’s departure reminds everyone that working for Meghan and Harry is a seemingly impossible task. They are just too demanding and always expect too much.”
But Kettler has since spoken out about his time working for the couple and had high praises. Speaking to US Weekly, Kettler, who had previously been chief of staff and head of strategic partnerships at the communication platform Cognixion, revealed what it was really like working for Harry and Meghan – and told how he was “warmly welcomed” by both of them and their Archewell team.
He added: “They are dedicated and hardworking. It was impressive to witness.” His comments last September came as a string of former and current employees spoke out in defence of Meghan after a report in the Hollywood Reporter labelled her “Duchess Difficult”.
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