Executive Transition

When a senior leader leaves, uncertainty can spread quickly. This communication plan for the California Academy of Sciences was designed to keep employees informed, connected, and confident about what comes next.

Helping an organization navigate a leadership change without losing sight of its people.

When a senior leader leaves unexpectedly, people immediately have questions: What happened? What's next? Should I be worried?

For the California Academy of Sciences, I built a communication plan designed to answer those questions quickly while keeping the focus on people and the Academy's mission.

The plan brought together clear messaging, coordinated communications, and intentional listening from the initial all-staff announcement to an intranet hub, FAQs, leadership updates, and opportunities for employees to ask questions.

One of the key ideas was simple: don't make employees hunt for information. Give them one trusted place to find the latest news, then use other channels to point them there.

The Work

I developed the messaging framework, communication timeline, internal announcements, intranet content, Slack messaging, and external press release.

The result was a coordinated transition plan that balanced transparency with reassurance and gave employees a clear path through an uncertain moment.

A Look Inside

Selected pages from the communication plan, including the audience strategy and sample communications.

Communication Objectives

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.

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

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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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.