Your communications strategy can foster stability and confidence in the midst of transition.
2025 has been a record year for CEO transitions so far. 860 CEOs exited between January and April, according to the latest data, and we’ve seen major brands such as Volvo, AdventHealth, Unilever and Intel select new leaders in just the last few months.
Announcing a leadership transition and introducing a new CEO to your company and stakeholders is a high-profile and highly sensitive move. And in a time of excitement and uncertainty for the company, the first communications priority is to bring stability and confidence.
That starts with your internal announcement, which needs to be the right message, delivered to the right people and in the right way.
Let’s break that down:
The right message: An announcement isn’t just sharing information — it’s setting the tone to help both internal and external audiences respond with a sense of optimism.
The messaging is delicate, but it should be built around a clear picture of what this appointment means for the organization along with the vision of the board and new CEO for the future. This framework was typically laid during the search process or communicated as part of the announcement of a hand-picked successor, and returning to this messaging as the new CEO steps into the role is an important opportunity to pull the vision through. If the search was conducted behind-the-scenes in confidentiality, your first internal and external announcements should set the stage for the transition by clearly explaining why this leader was chosen to lead the company in this moment and how that is expected to contribute to future success.
The right people: You’ll want to share the news with your key audiences – leadership teams, associates, partners, investors, clients, customers — in a very specific, sensitive order unique to your business. It’s critical to emphasize your internal audience and build stability in the business by helping leaders and associates feel confident in the new leadership.
Media relations is often an important part of this work, but the story will be covered once. Your employees will hopefully continue to work under this new leader every day — and they are your most important audience.
The right way: Strategy and timing are everything. Who finds out what, when, and from whom? The leadership team might get an in-person meeting with follow-up conversations for them to engage directly with the CEO before the news is shared more broadly. A town hall, video messages or other tactics might be most appropriate for other associates. Regardless of format, the news should be delivered with a personal touch and an eye toward humanizing the new CEO.
As a communications agency, part of our role is to enable a smooth and strategic roll-out of the announcement and set the new executive up for success and a positive reception.
Anyone can Google search a name or skim someone’s bio. What’s missing in that laundry list of accomplishments are the factors that inspire trust and loyalty – those things that make a leader personal, relatable, and human. Personal interactions and a demonstrated understanding of the company, along with an optimistic vision for its future, are critical to help associates build confidence in their new CEO. Many companies plan a road show to introduce the CEO to different people and locations on the ground or create a specific concept for the executive’s first 100 days to emphasize their accessibility and commitment to a first-hand understanding of the organization’s nuances.
I can’t overestimate the importance of a leader’s first impression. It can create a sense of hope and stability — or not.
But after Day 1 comes all the other days. The right announcement, handled the right way, can set them up for success as they step forward to steer the company into its new chapter.