Prince William and Kate look for ‘low ego’ CEO to run Kensington Palace

Prince William and Kate are searching for a CEO to run Kensington Palace

The Prince and Princess of Wales are looking for a CEO to run Kensington Palace in a move that British media has called revolutionary. According to a recent job listing on recruitment firm Odgers Berndtson, Prince William and Kate Middleton are on the hunt for a chief executive who can run their household of about 60 staff members.

Interested candidates must have a track record of building high-performing teams, an interest in work related to social impact and strategic planning capabilities, among other things, as per the four-page job listing. They must bring “leadership experience of working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments and dealing with high levels of public scrutiny and media interest.”

The chosen candidate must also be “emotionally intelligent” and have “low ego”, along with the ability to serve as a “servant” leader, the description said.

Moreover, in what is being touted as a revolutionary move, the successful candidate will work in collaboration with, but not report to, the private secretaries of Prince William and Kate Middleton. It has long been reckoned that the private secretaries hold great power behind the scenes.

Instead, the CEO of Kensington Palace will report directly to the royals. The CEO will be the “most senior and accountable leader for the Household.”

“This is a revolutionary move,” a source told Daily Mail. “They are overthrowing the traditional, hierarchical structure in which staff answer to private secretaries. It has really set the cat among the pigeons. Will the King and Queen have to follow their lead?”

Besides managing the affairs of Kensington Palace, the chosen candidate will also deal directly with King Charles and Queen Camilla's household, “serving as the strategic interface to Buckingham Palace.”

The CEO will be expected to work 37.5 hours a week from Monday to Friday and put in “such other hours that are necessary for the proper fulfilment of duties, or to meet unexpected or urgent demands.” The listing did not provide a salary range for the position.