March 25, 2021 - 11:30am
Ever since Megxit saw the Sussexes walk away from the monarchy and reemerge across the Atlantic as private citizens, questions have abounded as to what the artist formerly known as Prince Harry might end up doing now that he’d been relieved of his royal duties. But now, we need wonder no more! Harry has been hired as the Chief Impact Officer for a U.S.-based coaching firm called BetterUp.
Oddly enough, Chief Impact Officer is one corporate position for which Harry is pretty well-qualified — a feat for a guy who has not so much as one single day of what a normal person might call “work experience” on his CV. The Chief Impact Officer is part spokesperson, part actuary, part reputation manager; his job is to make sure the company is doing good, not just doing well.
As noted by the BBC, it’s also a position that is less common in the corporate world. “Impact,” in this parlance, used to be more the concern of not-for-profit enterprises, for whom success has always been measured by other than financial means. But for the business world, and particularly on the west-coast where the whole-self, holistic-minded coaching industry promises not just improvement but transformation, social justice is increasingly a corporate concern. This is, after all, the era of woke capitalism. When every product from breakfast cereal to video games is expected to signal its alignment with a certain set of causes, simply running a profitable business doesn’t cut it anymore.
In a 2019 post on LinkedIn Pulse, businessman Thomas Bourne presciently noted that Chief Impact Officers would be the “next big thing in corporate C-suite recruitment” — and that “Impact” would replace “Sustainability” as the new buzzword. Companies used to demonstrate their rightsidedness by making clear they were thinking green, but modern consumers — and, more importantly, modern investors — want them to think bigger. Demonstrating social awareness is at least as important as saving the planet.
In this way, the Chief Impact Officer is very much a product of our particular moment, when an outspoken commitment to social progress is just part of the cost of doing business. It’s not dissimilar from the recent move by NASDAQ to delist companies that don’t meet certain diversity standards, a policy that will serve to make boardrooms superficially more colourful while still perpetuating all sorts of gross inequality further down the ladder. The goal is to signal one’s values without having to give up anything one, well, values, and the most desirable solution changes very little except appearances. Meanwhile, a company can keep on raking in cash hand over fist, engaging in corner-cutting and exploitative labor practices, as long as it looks like they care.
And Harry’s presence at BetterUp is, it must be said, a very good look. The company can be seen to care deeply about doing good in the world — and Harry can be seen as the son of the Crown who renounced his privilege to make a difference. It couldn’t be a better fit for a man who is experienced, above all, at keeping up appearances.
Kat Rosenfield is an UnHerd columnist and co-host of the Feminine Chaos podcast. Her latest novel is You Must Remember This.
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SubscribeIt’s hard to imagine a truly reformist leader in any EU country. The whole block is tied up in so much red tape emanating from Brussels, I doubt any one person or administration can free themselves from all that bureaucracy. The most successful leader in that regard is probably Orban in Hungary and he’s basically ignoring EU law and regulations when it suits him.
Believe me, we don’t believe the media hype. We are not that stupid, won’t get fooled again etc. And, by the way, the seized vaccines were, apparently, destined for Belgium, not Australia. And, even if they were destined for Australia, in what sense is it appropriate that someone seizes goods that have bought and paid for by somebody else. Draghi is a snake, and a very nasty one, just like all those in Brussels.
“Believe me, we don’t believe the media hype” I hope you were wearing your mask as you typed that.
There was a batch of vaccine which was stopped on its way to Australia from Italy – I think 250,000 doses of Astra Zeneca. There was then a raid at a plant in Italy where the supposed “secret stash” of AZ was found…cue fevered accusations of vaccines being “hidden” etc. Turned out a portion of these “hidden” vaccines were destined for somewhere in the EU (possibly Belgium, I didn’t keep up), the rest for countries outside the EU as part of COVAX. AZ said they were there waiting for quality control. Not sure if I believe that but the whole thing died down again fairly quickly.
Draghi is a dyed-in-the-wool “status-quo”-ist… an alumnus of Goldmans like so many of our global leaders. He will deliver nothing new.
A new depression will be delivered soon enough. (Bloomberg is just the Biden Cheerleader, they are the ‘sheep whisperer’ printed to keep you all calm as the elites prepare to shave off your fleeces before you can run for the hills.)
9/2019, “European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the Governing Council should be open to ideas like MMT”
MMT, before covid even hit, sounds like Italy is going for modern day Alchemy of turning ones and zeros into gold. Oh, well, it is what USA is doing.
What annoys me about the breathless commentary on Draghi is that all journalists seem to be praising him for taking “a big risk”. Having read this article, I am not even sure whether the risk he is taking is as big as the media makes it sound. However, it is going to take Italy’s debt into never-seen-before territory…which makes the prospect of QE being tapered/interest rates rising that bit hairier.
Funny how when Draghi takes this risk, it is “fabulous”, “the work of a maverick”, “revolutionary” and generally fawned all over. When Boris takes a risk, it is “reckless” or “populist”…or, if the risk turns into a win (see vaccine campaign), attacked at every turn.
Utterly pathetic and completely transparent.
Poor Italy deserves better. Another Macron, indeed.
Draghi is highly overrated. As Italian minister of Finance he did not show any real effort in solving his country’s bank problems. Draghi for instance knew that Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, had a hole of almost 400 million. But did not act upon this. His so called quest to save the Euro by buying all the Italian debt and company debt was just to minimize the yield difference between the Italy’s 10 years yield and that of the Northern European countries. So that Germany could continu his cheap exports to these countries. But by doing so destroying pensions and money held at saving accounts. His latest move is just more of the same unimaginative order. Throwing good money, this time tax money paid by citizens in the Northern parts of Europe, after bad money. Of course it suits the federalist EU civil servants who would love to see their great EU federation been taken on this balloon ride. But just what this policy of Draghi had shown is that it will not solve the real underlying problems.
The difference is Macron was elected, Draghi was appointed. In the unlikely event of a meaningful election in Italy and him standing, if nobody voted for him the ECB would just choose somebody worse, for the Italians that is.
Maybe the reason for the enthusiasm for Draghi is that he is the best of the poor options available ? Can the writer suggest a better alternative ?
Maybe one that was elected not appointed by the EU?