The revolving EXIT door of employees chez Sussex continues

[Thedom]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13922531/Meghan-Markle-Prince-Harry-global-press-secretary-announces-major-job-change.html

Ashley was approached by other clients who were seeking the high-quality counsel she has provided to the Sussexes.

'High quality counsel' that's a bit of a stretch! she should have left when she originally quit, they clearly paid her to stay on at that time.

It's really lousy timing for this announcement, immediately after the employee bullying disclosures, and the spin they are trying to put on it is amusing. Likely the retention package expired at a very inconvenient time and she was not staying a minute longer as their employee.

Interesting to read the original report by Roya Nikkhah in the Times, posted in another thread by @twistybranch, the article was pulled within a few hours.

December 2023.

"Harry and Meghan’s fifth departure of the year as PR chief exits.
Ashley Hansen, who navigated the duke’s bombshell memoir and a Netflix documentary, is moving on. A source hints her advice often went unheeded"

“Ashley has been putting the feelers out for doing some freelance work on her own. It hasn’t worked out with Harry and Meghan."

The Times article https://archive.is/lqdH9

It certainly adds credence to the suggestion that they're difficult to work for, doesn't it?

I was tickled by this explanation of the name for AH new company "Three Gates Strategies" : "Is it true, is it necessary, is it kind?".

Anyway her spin on the reason for leaving and her new project and continuing support from M&H suggest they watered her seeds and sheds flourishing thanks to them. Surprised she hasn't used those words in her statement.

I just posted the same on the Harry on Tour thread. And to think Meghan helped her “brainstorm” the name. According to the VF article…

LOL, the irony of that name, in light of who she was working for !!

The title of the Vanity Fair article has to be one of the most entertaining PR spin headlines ever.

Meghan Markle’s Friend Is Launching a New Business, and the Sussexes Are the First Clients

The planting and leaking of these silly puff pieces are rather predictable. Obviously People and Vanity Fair are the go to rags. Fluff insinuating that Meghan practically founded the company for Ashley. Meghan really is in her Boss Babe era.

Is anyone buying this? It sounds like hogwash. I wouldn't touch a PR company that represented the Sussexes.

Ultimately this is another high profile employee that has left. The redacted Times article muddies the timeliness which makes it more interesting.

There’s straight up lies though. For a PR person she’s already failed her first gate…truth.

She says she left because people were asking her for guidance. So we are expected to believe because of this, she then set up her own company. Well what happened to these people that wanted to work with you and why you left? Because her only clients are Harry and Meghan!

The times article from 9 months ago said that Hansen was putting the feelers out. Not that people were approaching her. That she was looking for work.

Also there’s rumours that Hansen is the staff member from the HR article

Also, the headline of the VF states that Meghans friend sets up a business. Not head of bloody communications of Archewell!

Im mean it’s embarrassing the lengths they are going to, to try and pass off Meghan as the friendliest best boss ever …..which shows you how hard tha HR article has hit her. She’s in a tailspin

It has done Hansen absolutely no favours. Makes her look just as mental.

However, if the rumours are correct that it was her that spoke to HR….then maybe Megs had her over a barrel

The other point to note is that any Head of Communications worth her salt would know that putting out information which is immediately undermined is no way to build credibility.

If today’s story was true, when Ashley herself was quoted by name in the US Weekly push back piece on 24 September in US Weekly saying this, both she and Meghan would have known she would also shortly be leaving:

Ashley Hansen, global press secretary to the duke and duchess and the head of communications for Archewell, says her bosses couldn’t have been more supportive when she had to take some extended time off for a serious surgery. “When I told them, I was met with the kind of concern and care a parent would express if it were their own child,” she recalls. “I was asked what I needed, how and if they could help, and told to take as much time as I needed.” Hansen says Harry and Meghan sent flowers and care packages, “but most profoundly to me, Meghan would personally reach out to my husband daily to make sure that we both were OK and had support,” she adds. “It meant so much to him and even more to me. You don’t realize how much that kind of kindness and thought means until you need it.”

Clearly, you don’t give notice, set up, brand and launch your own communications agency in just 10 days.

If today’s story was the truth it would have been the easiest thing in the world to add that praise (“Meghan is so supportive she’s given me the confidence to launch my own agency! She even contributed to the name!”) to the US Weekly article. And sensible too, because when Ashley Hansen does announce shortly afterwards that she’s also leaving, the shakey credibility of the US Weekly article is immediately undermined.

So either Ashley is a completely incompetent Head of Communications, or today’s announcement of her departure is completely contrived.

Yes they both knew she was leaving when US weekly was out.

Im sure the DM will be investigating dates for registering the company that will confirm.

It also sounds that she has had a lot of time off. The times article in Dec 23 said she was looking for work, US weekly said she was off having surgery etc….I suspect she quietly left months ago but can’t delay the inevitable because now she’s launched her firm, so they have to spin that she’s no 19 to go

Also by the sounds of it, they aren’t replacing her

which shows you that they probably don’t listen to their staff and think they can do better.

They never replaced their head of Archewell did they?, they took over that role too

..... Or maybe they are not replacing as the money isn't there?

It has done Hansen absolutely no favours. Makes her look just as mental.

Maybe that the reason it was done to make things harder for her and as she finding no one wants her thought well it's worth extra publicity for my launch.

If she successful oh look it was with Meghan's help if not oh this is why our PR was so bad and we had so many problems and as she was a friend didn't see it or forgave it aren't we nice.

Twistybranch

Archewell doesn't seem to do much or generate an income so there's probably no need to replace Hansen anyway, even if someone wanted the job (doubtful).

I don't think anybody could dispute they are difficult to get on with.

What I don’t get is why she’s using staff members like this. We know it’s designed to make meghan look good, but why doesn’t Meghan use her voice. That’s what’s she always banging on about….so why can’t she come forward and give an account of how she is as a boss.

This method of getting staff to speak to the press looks like a boss heavily pressurising staff

Also the US weekly and Hansen leaving article has all taken place while Harry is on tour

why couldn’t they have done this after?

Because very few would believe her ?

Very true

but we know this nonsense all comes from her anyway when staff speak, but also looks like duress.

Gosh Serenster yes, you are right, it didn't even cross my mind that is's only 10 days since she made the saccharine comment about her boss.

This is fascinating because it's really not a good way for Hansen to start her own business.

You really can't talk credibly about your PR prowess while you're associated with the Sussexes who have gone from disaster to disaster and right now Meghan is in the midst of one of the worst PR crises she's faced.

Not blaming Hansen for that of course as clearly the pair of them don't listen to advice and are a nightmare to work with - but her problem is that not only has she publicly gone on record a week ago talking about how wonderful Meghan is in contradiction with the negative press, but she's still working with them with her new company - so her announcement is also all about how great they are.

By doing it this way she's completely aligning herself with them and the timing is dreadful. So what other high profile person is going to look at her and think "yeah she's the kind of skilled communications strategist I want to work with?"

If she's actually a PR specialist worth her salt she must know this, which makes me wonder if H&M have her over a barrel - if they know or suspect she was one of the people who spoke to the HR perhaps they've threatened to sue her for breach of her NDA if she doesn't publicly back them with glowing praise.

Very interesting though.

It also seems she has two methods of control over her staff.

The ones she doesn’t coddle, that feel bullied and she cuts them off

The ones who she overreaches into their lives, crossing healthy boundaries to remain in control. Like Hansen- what boss would be taking an eager interest in your new business gene your are leaving their firm?? There was also the ex head of Archewell in US weekly stating that she was meeting up with Meghan for lunch to go over her business ideas. Where on earth does meghan find the time to talk about others businesses when can’t even get ARO paperwork through the patent office, never mind actually put anything up for sale.

It’s all really odd behaviour

This comment 😂

""especially as a female entrepreneur" ?? We're not in the 80's anymore, many women do all kinds of jobs and have great careers... and some women just find a rich guy to marry. '

I think Meghan is still locked into her 11 year old P&G mindset. if I remember correctly one of the criticisms of her podcast was that she was discussing things that just weren't relevant and are outdated concepts. (bimbo, being a singleton etc.).

Also the timing makes sense for the HR article.

They must have known Hansen was leaving on the back of Kettler. She is setting up her own business and has been putting out feelers, so there must have been gossip.