Meghan Markle news: Duchess of Sussex appoints Bill Gates’ ex assistant as her chief of staff

By Victoria Ward

The Duchess of Sussex has hired an administrator who previously worked for Bill Gates as her first chief of staff.

Meghan has appointed Sarah Fosmo, 45, to be her most senior adviser as she prepares to relaunch her career.

The Duchess is releasing With Love, Meghan, her Netflix lifestyle series, alongside As Ever, her commercial enterprise, and Confessions of a Female Founder, her podcast. Ms Fosmo will oversee this “dynamic period of growth”.

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Meanwhile, the Duke of Sussex’s last, high-flying pick for his chief of staff, Josh Kettler, who was formerly a Patagonia executive, did not outlast his three-month trial period.

In the absence of a replacement, one of the Duke’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”.

The Sussexes have become known for their apparent inability to attract and retain the right staff after hiring and losing a series of senior advisers since relocating to the US. They are hoping the “exceptional” new employees will prove the right fit to guide the next chapter of their “ambitious ventures”.

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A source told The Telegraph: “Sarah and Lianne exemplify the strength and vision driving the Duke and Duchess forward.”

Ms Fosmo has described herself as “an accomplished professional with an extensive, long-tenured career managing complex, high-stakes operations for ultra-high net worth individuals”.

She said she was “adept at navigating high-pressure environments while maintaining a warm, approachable presence and representing principals with poise and professionalism”.

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Before being hired by the Duchess, Ms Fosmo worked for Gates Ventures, Mr 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.

She has described Mr Gates and Oprah Winfrey – a friend and neighbour of the Sussexes – as two of her “favourite people”.

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Ms Cashin has worked her way up through the ranks since joining Archewell, the Sussexes’ production company, shortly after its inception.

She is understood to have been an executive assistant and then worked as head of operations for almost four years before transitioning to the role of consultant.

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Ms Cashin previously worked as a personal assistant to Shaun White, a professional snowboarder and is thought to have been involved with Los Padres Polo, the Duke’s polo team.

She will be responsible for guiding the Duke through the next stage of his post-royal career, after his Netflix documentaries, revelatory television interviews and confessional memoir.

She will have played a pivotal role alongside Meredith Maines, the Sussexes’ new communications director, in arranging the Duke’s BBC interview last week, in which he railed against his father and complained of an “establishment stitch-up” after losing his legal appeal against the Government over security provision.

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Another early priority in her in-tray will have been the Duke’s African charity, Sentebale. Its implosion was followed this week by the admission by African Parks, for which the Duke sits on the board, of multiple human rights abuses carried out by its rangers.

A source close to the Sussexes said the couple considered 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.”

The source added that Ms Cashin had become a valued consultant and provided “deep operational insight for key projects”.

On Friday, the Duke and Duchess were spotted enjoying the fifth night of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour in California in a backstage picture. They were among thousands of fans at the SoFi Stadium as the singer performed her last show in Los Angeles before heading to Chicago.

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2025

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