Archewell, the organization founded by Meghan and Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has hired tech and media exec Mandana Dayani as its first chief operating officer, the organization tells Fortune exclusively.
The COO will report directly to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Dayani will oversee growth strategy and day-to-day operations at the organization, which includes the nonprofit Archewell Foundation as well as the media businesses Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions. She began her position with Archewell in June.
“I am so inspired by the vision and unwavering dedication of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to create a more united, truthful, safe, and equitable world,” Dayani said in a statement. “I am thrilled to build upon our shared mission to drive systemic cultural change.”
Like the mandate of her new employer, Dayani’s experience covers both business and media and social change initiatives. Dayani is known for founding the “I am a voter” campaign, which aims to increase civic engagement and voter turnout. In the the lead-up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the initiative urged eligible voters to register and sent election reminders and information. She spent five years as a vice president with fashion designer Rachel Zoe and before that worked as a corporate attorney and commercial talent agent. She was also chief brand officer for online estate sale business Everything but the House.
Dayani joins a staff at Archewell that includes the foundation’s executive director, James Holt; head of content Ben Browning; head of Archewell Audio Rebecca Sananes; head of unscripted Chanel Pysnik; and SVP of scripted TV Nishika Kumble.
Harry and Meghan founded Archewell in 2020 following their departure as working members of the British Royal Family. Since then, Archewell has announced several projects—including through Spotify and Netflix—but few have debuted yet. With Netflix, Archewell Productions is slated to produce a docuseries about the Invictus Games and an animated series, Pearl, about a 12-year-old girl and her encounters with influential women throughout history.
Most recently, the organization launched a campaign urging people to donate 40 minutes of their time to mentor or support a woman returning to the workforce—in light of the pandemic’s impact on working women and mothers—in honor of Meghan’s 40th birthday.
Meghan and Harry are currently on parental leave following the birth of their second child, Lilibet Diana, in June.
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