New CEO Announcement Template
Copy this new CEO announcement template, replace the bracketed parts, and you have an executive appointment press release in the standard format. An internal email version, a LinkedIn post and a filled example follow.
New CEO announcement template
Everything in [brackets] is yours to replace. Keep the order of the paragraphs — reporters scan for the name, the start date and the predecessor's status in that sequence.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Company] Names [Full Name] Chief Executive Officer [Subheadline: where they come from and the one credential that matters] [CITY, State], [Mon. DD, YYYY] — [Company] today named [Full Name] chief executive officer, effective [start date]. [Full Name] joins from [previous company], where [they] spent [X] years, most recently as [previous title]. [One concrete result from that role, with a number.] [Two or three sentences on the new CEO's background, board seats, education, or earlier career, and why it fits this company.] [Company] founder [Name], who has led the company since [year], will remain [chairman / advisor / stay on through the transition]. "[Quote from the board chair, founder or search committee chair about why this person specifically. Avoid adjectives; use a fact]," said [Full Name], [title] at [Company]. "[Quote from the incoming CEO about the first 90 days, a stated priority, or what they intend to fix or build]," said [Full Name]. [One optional sentence of supporting detail.] [How the appointment was made: national search, board vote, internal promotion. When employees were told.] About [Company] [Company] is a [what it does] company based in [city, state], founded in [year], with [number] employees in [locations]. Learn more at [website]. Media Contact [Name] [Email] [Phone] ###
Filled-in example
Summit HVAC Names Industry Veteran Rachel Kim Chief Executive Officer
DENVER, Colo., Oct. 1, 2026 — Summit HVAC today named Rachel Kim chief executive officer, effective Nov. 1. Kim joins from Northwind Air, where she spent 12 years, most recently as president of its residential service division.
At Northwind, Kim grew the residential service division from 400 to 1,300 technicians and cut average response times from 36 hours to nine. She serves on the board of the Colorado HVAC Apprenticeship Council and holds an MBA from the University of Colorado.
Founder Marcus Hale, who has led Summit HVAC since 2009, will remain chairman and will work with Kim through the first quarter on the company's new commercial service line.
"Rachel has built exactly the kind of service team we want to become," said Hale. "She has run a division ten times our size, and she still answers the phone on a Friday afternoon."
"Summit has 42 technicians and a waitlist of customers who want the same-day guarantee. My first job is hiring enough trained people to keep that promise," said Kim.
The board unanimously approved the appointment after a four-month search. All 68 employees were told before the announcement.
About Summit HVAC
Summit HVAC is a family-owned heating, cooling and air quality contractor serving the Denver metro area since 2009, with 42 technicians. Learn more at summithvac.example.
Media contact: Dana Hale, [email protected]
###
Fictional example for illustration.
Variation 1: the internal announcement email
Send this to employees before the press release goes out — typically the afternoon before. Same facts, plainer language, shorter sentences.
Subject: Leadership update — [Full Name] named CEO, effective [date] Team, [Company] has named [Full Name] as our next chief executive officer, effective [start date]. [Full Name] joins us from [previous company], where [they] led [division or function] and [one concrete result]. [Outgoing leader name] will [remain chairman / stay through the transition / retire after 14 years]. Nothing changes about your day-to-day work this week. [Full Name] will be in [city] on [date] for an all-hands at [time and place], and will hold small-group sessions the same week. Managers will share more detail in team meetings tomorrow morning. Questions about the transition can come to me directly, or to [HR contact name] at [email]. [Your name] [Your title] Please do not share this externally until [date and time] — the public announcement goes out then.
Variation 2: the LinkedIn post
Short, first person, no jargon. Link to the full release rather than pasting it.
I'm delighted to share that [Full Name] is joining [Company] as our new CEO, effective [date]. [He/She/They] spent [X] years at [previous company], where [the one result with a number]. That is exactly the kind of operator [Company] needs as we [the company's next step]. [One sentence about what the outgoing leader will do next, if applicable, and a thank-you that names them.] Welcome, [First name]. Full announcement: [link]
Template tips
- Never leave the predecessor's status blank. If you do not say what happens to them, every reader will guess.
- Use one number about the incoming CEO. "Grew the division from 400 to 1,300 technicians" is worth ten adjectives.
- Get a headshot and a 100-word bio approved early and host them in a press kit; editors ask for both.
- Land it Tuesday to Thursday morning if you want business press coverage; a Friday afternoon announcement reads as damage control.
See a longer version of the release, plus timing guidance, in the new CEO announcement sample. For other announcements, use the general press release template or browse all press release samples.
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Is this template free to use?
Yes. Copy it into Word or Google Docs, delete the brackets and keep the paragraph order.
How long should the finished release be?
400–600 words. Two quotes, one number about the incoming leader, and a clear line on the outgoing one.
Should the internal email go out before or after the press release?
Before — the day before, or at minimum several hours before. Employees finding out from the news is the fastest way to turn a routine appointment into a story.
What if we are announcing an interim CEO?
Use the same template and say "interim" in both the headline and the dateline paragraph.