Overview

• Jason Knauf, previously a key aide to Prince William and a trustee of the Earthshot Prize, has been appointed CEO as of April 17, 2025.
• Hannah Jones, the founding CEO of the Earthshot Prize, will transition out of her role this summer after four years of building the organization.
• Prince William praised Jones’s contributions and expressed confidence in Knauf to guide the Prize through the next phase of its mission to scale environmental solutions.
• Knauf’s appointment comes as the Earthshot Prize prepares for its fifth awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro this November, coinciding with COP30 climate talks.
• Knauf has a history of royal service, including a 2018 bullying complaint against Meghan Markle, which Buckingham Palace investigated but kept findings private.