Executive Transition

When a senior leader departs with little notice, it can create a ripple of uncertainty across the organization. This communication plan was designed for the California Academy of Sciences to not just to manage the transition, but also to turn it into an opportunity for connection. With timely, transparent messaging and intentional listening touchpoints, the goal was to reinforce trust, acknowledge employee concerns, and invite engagement around what comes next. By centering people and clarity, the plan helped stabilize the moment and strengthen culture in the process.

Situational Analysis

At the start of the week, our beloved Managing Director (MD) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of our academy announced that he will be stepping down from his roles, with his last day being the end of the current week. While this decision is amicable and planned, it is significant and will have a broad impact across staff, stakeholders, and external partners.

Communication Objectives

Primary Goal

To clearly, confidently, and promptly inform staff of the Managing Director and CFO’s planned departure to ensure transparency, minimize uncertainty, and reinforce organizational stability during the transition. Given the immediacy of the departure and the potential for informal leaks, it’s critical to communicate swiftly in order to control the narrative and maintain trust.

What Success Looks Like

Success means more than 60% of employees feel informed, reassured, and engaged following the announcement. This will be demonstrated by broad acceptance of the news, minimal speculation or confusion, and a forward-looking mindset shared across the organization. These outcomes will be reflected in consistent, positive messaging from individual contributors (ICs) through to people managers, and a clear understanding of next steps in the leadership transition.

1. Inform and Reassure

Communicate the facts: the who, what, when, and why of the departure.
Emphasize that the transition is amicable and planned.
Share any immediate or interim leadership plans (even if minimal) to reduce anxiety or speculation.

2. Foster Acceptance and Positivity

Acknowledge the emotional impact of the departure.
Highlight the MD/CFO’s contributions and legacy to encourage goodwill.
Begin setting the tone for forward momentum by briefly hinting at future plans or continuity.

3. Encourage Engagement

Provide a channel for questions, feedback, or concerns to help employees feel heard and supported.
Possibly announce a forum, Q&A session, or point of contact for follow-up.

4. Maintain Morale through Tone

Use a warm, appreciative, and hopeful tone.
Avoid corporate jargon; be human, direct, and optimistic.
Balance gravity with approachability (e.g., don’t sound like you're sugar-coating, but also don’t sound alarmist).

Key Audiences

Key Messaging

Tone: Transparent, appreciative, forward-looking 

Guiding Values: Trust, continuity, gratitude, mission alignment

Talking Points:

We are so deeply grateful for [MD/CFO’s name] and the tremendous impact he’s made on our academy’s growth and success. [Insert specific accomplishments.]
This change has been carefully planned, and we’re confident that our shared commitment to the academy’s mission and community will carry us forward.
We’re excited about the future and are thoughtfully working together through the next steps in finding the right leadership to continue our journey. [Insert details on interim transition plan.]
As always, we welcome open communication and are here to support our community throughout this change. [Share feedback channels.]

Execution Timeline

Metrics and Engagement

To ensure this leadership transition communication is not only delivered but also understood and retained, we recommend tracking engagement and feedback at key touchpoints. These metrics will help gauge clarity, reach, and employee sentiment, while also informing future communication practices.

Engagement Metrics

Email Open Rate: Measure the percentage of employees who open the initial leadership announcement. If engagement falls below a 50% threshold, consider targeted follow-up via Slack, team huddles, or manager nudges.
Intranet Page Visits: Track visits to the transition FAQ or leadership update hub. A high visit count signals interest and proactive engagement; low traffic may indicate a need for additional prompts or clearer call-to-action.
Office Hours: Measure turnout for optional one-on-one or small-group listening tours with the Executive Director or designated leadership. This offers a qualitative look at how eager staff are to engage and ask questions.
Feedback and Questions Received: Monitor the volume, tone, and trend of questions submitted through designated channels (e.g., intranet form, Slack, managers). This helps identify where confusion or concern remains and which areas need more clarity.

Follow-Up Actions

If engagement is low across channels, additional communication tactics (such as a short video messages from the ED or activation from managers or champions) can be used to re-engage the staff. Use these insights to refine future messaging cadence and channel strategy, ensuring long-term trust and transparency during future transitions.

Draft Deliverables

Internal Email Announcement (To All Staff)

Subject: Leadership Transition Announcement

Dear Team,

I’m writing to share an important leadership update. At the end of this week, our Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, [insert name], will be stepping down from his roles as part of a planned and amicable transition.

We are deeply grateful for [insert name] many contributions to the California Academy of Sciences. His leadership has helped strengthen our foundation and supported the mission-driven work we carry out every day. While we will certainly miss his presence and guidance, we are confident in our path forward and energized by the opportunities ahead of us.

We understand that transitions like this take time to process. To support you, we’ll be posting additional information on our intranet including a duplicate of this message, a short FAQ, and details about our interim leadership plans, so you can access it when you’re ready and refer back whenever needed.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions. We are committed to communicating openly throughout this process and will continue to support our community every step of the way.

Warmly,
Scott D. Sampson, PhD
Executive Director and William R. and Gretchen B. Kimball Chair

Intranet Article (Internal News Hub)

Title: Leadership Transition: A Message from the Executive Director

This week, we announce a significant yet thoughtfully planned leadership transition: [insert name], our Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, will be stepping down from his roles at the end of the week.

This change, while impactful, is amicable and reflects ongoing planning to ensure the long-term success of the Academy. [insert name] has played a pivotal role in advancing our mission from [insert specific accomplishments or milestones] to strengthening the operational and financial health of our institution.

As we turn the page, our leadership team has developed interim plans to ensure a smooth transition and continued alignment with our strategic goals. We are also launching a transparent and inclusive process to identify our next Managing Director.

To support you during this transition, we’ve created a central hub where you’ll find:

A thank-you message and video from [insert name] and Dr. Sampson
A timeline of key transition milestones
FAQs and contacts for questions or feedback

👉 Visit the Leadership Transition Hub

Let’s continue moving forward together, grounded in our shared mission to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Slack Post (Announcement Channel)

🚨 Leadership Update 🚨

This week marks an important transition for our Academy. [Insert name] will be stepping down from his role at the end of the week, following a thoughtful and planned leadership change.

Dr. Sampson has shared a note with reflections and next steps here:
🔗 Read the full announcement and FAQ on the intranet

Let’s show [insert name] our appreciation and stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to connect and share feedback.

Press Release (External)

Media Contact

Megan Ely

(415) 379-5123

press@calacademy.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California Academy of Sciences Announces

Leadership Transition of Managing Director and CFO

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (May 29, 2025) – The California Academy of Sciences, a beloved 172-year-old San Francisco museum and research institution, today announced that [MD/CFO’s Full Name] will be stepping down from his roles as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer at the end of this week. This planned and amicable transition marks the close of an impactful chapter in the Academy’s ongoing story of innovation and growth.

“As an institution committed to regeneration and evolving to meet the needs of our changing world, we are deeply grateful for [MD/CFO’s Name] and the tremendous contributions he has made to the Academy’s success,” said Scott D. Sampson, PhD, Executive Director and William R. and Gretchen B. Kimball Chair of the California Academy of Sciences. “His leadership has strengthened our financial foundation and supported the mission-driven work we do every day. While we will certainly miss his guidance, we are confident in our path forward and energized by the exciting opportunities ahead.”

[MD/CFO’s Name] has been instrumental in leading strategic initiatives that advanced the Academy’s programs, operations, and partnerships, helping to solidify its role as a world-class scientific and educational institution. Under his stewardship, the Academy achieved [insert a few key accomplishments or milestones].

The Academy has begun a thoughtful and inclusive leadership succession process and has put interim plans in place to ensure continuity and stability during the transition. The organization remains focused on its mission to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration, with no disruption to its programs or community commitments.

“We are committed to transparency and open communication throughout this transition,” added Dr. Sampson. “We thank [MD/CFO’s Name] for his years of dedicated service and wish him all the best in his next chapter.”

About the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a renowned scientific and educational institution dedicated to understanding and protecting our natural world through research, education, and public engagement. Located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the Academy houses a world-class aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and innovative scientific research programs all under one living roof. For more information, visit www.calacademy.org.

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Approach

While a one-off email announcement might satisfy the immediate need, especially given the tight timing, this leadership transition is also an opportunity to strengthen how we communicate change across the organization. A comprehensive plan enables targeted messaging, consistent timing, and flexibility to evolve over time.

One key tactic is hosting detailed FAQs, interim leadership updates, and timelines on the Academy’s intranet. Keeping the all-staff email concise, while linking to a central source of truth, makes the message easier to digest and sets up employees for ongoing clarity.

Over time, this approach helps build the organizational “muscle” of going to the intranet for real-time, accurate information. Instead of relying on speculation or hallway conversations, staff will increasingly know where to look for answers and trust that the platform reflects the most current guidance.

By centralizing updates in one trusted location, we not only reinforce a culture of transparency and shared understanding, but we also reduce the time and resources communication teams spend duplicating content across channels or fielding repetitive questions. With each strategic use, we make the platform more useful now and more sustainable for future transitions.

Note

This communication plan is here to give you a sense of how I think and approach my work. I appreciate you respecting the time and thought behind it by not copying, sharing, or reusing it without my written permission.