Having advised Bill and Melinda Gates, Catherine St-Laurent appeared the perfect fit as Harry and Meghan’s new chief of staff and executive director of their non-profit organisation, the Archewell Foundation, when she was handpicked last April. Yet just 11 months on, the Montreal-born big hitter is stepping down from a position many thought would occupy her for years to come.
Not least because she had resigned from a highly sought-after role, advising Melinda Gates’s Pivotal Ventures social progress project in the US, to take up the new post.
Hence why eyebrows were raised at the news of the mother-of-two’s decision to “transition to an advisory role”. She will be replaced by James Holt, UK spokesman for the Duke and Duchess. Holt has worked for them for five years.
Although sources close to the couple insisted that St-Laurent would continue to advise Harry and Meghan through her social impact firm, insiders suggested the bilingual strategist, who has also worked in Brussels and London and featured in PR Week’s 40 under 40 in 2014, “wanted out”. The London Telegraph understands that she will no longer be considered a full-time employee nor remain on the payroll.
According to one well-placed insider: “I think there was a sense that she was having to fulfil a great many functions for the couple — not all of which were necessarily in her job spec.
“Catherine’s very bubbly and has a big personality. She was the bright hope to run their organisation, so this is surprising news. They do not have a big team out in LA so it is undoubtedly going to be a blow.”
It is the last thing the Sussexes need as they prepare to mark Archewell’s first anniversary with new appointments.
Ben Browning, the Oscar-nominated producer, has just been unveiled as Archewell’s head of content to “work closely with Netflix and Spotify”. The couple signed multimillion-dollar deals with the streaming companies last year.
Along with newly promoted Holt, Browning’s employment means the two most powerful people in the Sussexes’ top team are now both white males — despite the couple having voiced their concerns about a lack of diversity in the royal family.
A statement issued on behalf of Archewell on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) made clear that it would also be advised by social impact agency Invisible Hand, “a female-led, diverse team” based in New York and run by Genevieve Roth. Roth worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 US presidential campaign.
Yet St-Laurent’s “transition” is likely to raise questions as to why the Sussexes have struggled to retain staff since they married in 2018. While still in the UK, they lost a string of employees, including Meghan’s personal assistant Melissa Toubati, a second unnamed personal assistant, their senior communications officer Amy Pickerill, and their private secretary Samantha Cohen.
Toya Holness, global press secretary for Archewell, said: “Archewell is incredibly pleased to welcome Ben, Genevieve and the Invisible Hand team to the organisation. Along with the appointment of James Holt as executive director […] they join a rapidly expanding team that’s deeply dedicated to advancing systemic cultural change and supporting compassionate communities across the world.”
St-Laurent declined to comment.