The Sussexes have have hired two new senior advisers as they continue to navigate post-royal life – and one of them has a close connection to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates
There are some big changes underway at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s office. It has been revealed that Meghan has appointed her first chief of staff – Sarah Fosmo, who will be her most senior adviser as she continues a new shift in career.
Sarah, 45, has an impressive CV; she previously worked for Gates Ventures, Bill Gates’ private office, in executive administration for six years. Before that, she spent seven years working for Tony Robbins, an American motivational speaker, as a senior executive assistant.
And she will now oversee Meghan during a period of immense professional change and growth, with the recent launch of her Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, and podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, as well as the rebrand of her lifestyle company, As Ever.
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Meanwhile, Prince Harry also has a new chief of staff after his last pick, Josh Kettler, left after his three-month trial period. Rather than bringing in a new replacement, one of Harry’s most senior members of staff, Lianne Cashin, a former executive assistant and Archewell’s head of operations, has been promoted to a ‘senior consultant’.
She will be responsible for guiding the Duke through the next stage of his post-royal career. 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.”
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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.
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“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”.
