When she was appointed as the first chairman of the Duke of Sussex’s ‘eco’ firm Travalyst, India Gary-Martin declared that it was ‘really exciting’.
Sadly, working for Prince Harry seems to have lost its thrill very quickly for the businesswoman.
I hear that she has quit as chairman after just a year and a half in the role.
‘Frankly, it’s no surprise,’ reflects one observer of the business activities of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have seen at least 19 senior members of staff leave.
Harry established Travalyst in 2019 to make tourism more environmentally friendly. However, he and Meghan soon faced accusations of hypocrisy because of their use of gas-guzzling private jets. That year, the couple reportedy made four journeys by private jets in the space of 11 days.
King Charles’s younger son defended himself at the time, saying ‘no one is perfect’ and that what is important is ‘balance’.
Travalyst confirms that Ms Gary-Martin left her position before Christmas.
The company is keen to play down her departure, claiming that she stepped down to focus on her own business, Leadership For Execs, where she works with organisations on leadership development, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
I hear that Prince Harry has lost the first chairman of his eco firm Travalyst
India Gary-Martin had said it was ‘really exciting’ to be appointed to the role at the Duke of Sussex’s company, but working for Harry appears to have lost its excitement very quickly
Harry set up Travalyst in 2019 to make tourism more environmentally friendly, but he and Meghan soon faced accusations of hypocrisy over of their use of gas-guzzling private jets
Former Google executive Gianni Marostic has been appointed as her successor, with Travalyst’s chief executive, Sarah Davey, hailing him a ‘change maker’.
When Ms Gary-Martin was appointed as chairman, she said it was ‘really exciting to announce that I’ve accepted the role as Chair of the Board at Travalyst…Being able to ensure that people of colour are central to conversations about sustainability in spaces we don’t traditionally occupy is both a responsibility and honour.’
Harry and Meghan have lost so many senior members of staff since they married in 2018 that former employees reportedly describe themselves as part of the ‘Sussex Survivors Club’.
Last summer, I disclosed that Josh Kettler had suddenly quit his job as Harry’s chief of staff after scarcely three months.
One former member of staff told me at the time: ‘What may be most telling is that the entire time I worked there, I don’t think I heard a single current or former employee on their staff say they would take the job again if given the chance.
‘These aren’t employees they had just found off the streets. Many of them are people who had previously excelled working for demanding bosses in high-performance companies and environments.’