Kensington Palace said on Tuesday that Paramount U.K. head Sarah Rose has been appointed the new CEO of The Royal Foundation, led by Prince William and Kate Middleton. She succeeds Amanda Berry.
Rose has been president of 5 and regional lead, U.K. for Paramount since February 2024. Prior to that she was Chief Operating and Commercial Officer, first for the UK, then for Broadcast, UK and International Studios. She joined Paramount when it was still Viacom in August 2020.
Rose said in a memo that she will stay at Paramount until the end of 2025 to ensure a successful transition.
A process has begun to identify and appoint a successor. It will be overseen by Kevin MacLellan, president, international and global content distribution. Ben Frow will continue to lead 5 creatively as chief content officer.
“The Royal Foundation is a philanthropic organisation which is responsible for driving the highest priority social and environmental work of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales,” Rose said in her memo. “Its current areas of focus include Homelessness, Early Years Learning, Wildlife Conservation, and Community Initiatives. The Foundation has already built a strong track record for delivering impactful program to create a lasting legacy, but their Royal Highnesses are highly ambitious for how much more it can do. The Foundation represents an extraordinary platform from which they want to effect long-term social and environmental change, through philanthropy and partnership on a global scale.”
Added Rose: “The decision to leave now has been all the more difficult because I am both impressed and excited by the vision and strategy Skydance has articulated since acquiring Paramount. The international division is in very safe hands with Kevin MacLellan, who understands our business intimately and has an impressive track record of his own.”
Prince William and Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Sarah to The Royal Foundation and to working with her on some of the issues which are closest to our hearts. We are hugely grateful to Amanda for her exceptional leadership over the past three years and are pleased she will continue to work with us in her new role as Global Partnerships Ambassador.”
Rose said: “I am honored to be joining The Royal Foundation and am excited by the ambition it has for the future. I’m incredibly proud to have spent 30 years in public service broadcasting, and I now look forward to working with Their Royal Highnesses and the team at the Foundation to support the vital work they do to tackle some of society’s most urgent challenges.”