Your company just appointed a new CEO, which is huge news! After you've made an internal announcement, it's time to tell everyone else that you have a new chief executive officer.
To do this, you need a CEO press release - a document telling readers who has become the chief executive officer of your company and all other associated details.
Today, you'll learn how to create a press release document in just a few simple steps. Plus - there's a handy press release template at the end.
Looking to create a new CEO press release?
Use Prowly's AI press release generator or templates that you can use for free to easily create your own in a format that journalists expect to receive.
Prowly also lets you find relevant journalists and send out your press release to them directly from the platform.
What is a new CEO press release
A new CEO press release is a written document that announces to the public that a new CEO has been appointed in your company.
This press release covers multiple details, such as:
- the name and the qualifications of the new executive
- their previous experience and education
- quotes from other people about the appointment
- the mission and vision they have for the future of the company
- and more
The main aim of this type of press release is to get media coverage. Moreover, it should tell all relevant stakeholders about the change that is happening in company leadership.
When to write a new CEO announcement press release
Ideally, you should write the press release ahead, to be sure you publish it on time.
This means days and weeks before the new CEO starts in order to give journalists enough time to cover the story after you pitch them.
However, this is not the only instance when you can write a press release talking about the CEO. There are also:
- CEO performance milestone press release - when they achieve a notable milestone, e.g. breaking into a new market
- Interim CEO appointment press release - when there is an interim CEO until a full replacement is found
- New director press release - when you already have a CEO but you've hired or promoted a director in your company
And if you need to write a regular new hire press release, read this "how to" guide.
How to write a new CEO press release
Writing a new CEO press release is a huge deal as it does not happen all that often - so you want to get it right. We're going to take you through it, step by step, so you can create a compelling press release quickly and easily.
#1 A catchy headline and lead sentence in a new CEO press release
Grab your audience’s attention with a headline that tells them exactly what they're going to read. Here is an example from Unilever:
It's plain and straight to the point without trying to be overly creative or funny. It is then followed up by a lead sentence, explaining that the CEO is appointed after a global search.
The press release then mentions their predecessor and the reason why they left. All of the key information is there, just after the title.
#2 Start with key details on your Chief Executive Officer
With the name out of the way, it is time to cover the remaining key details that will round off the press release. Here is what you should include:
- the CEO's previous experience
- the reasons they were promoted or appointed as CEO
- what this means for the future of the company
Here is how easily you can create the first two parts in Prowly:
#3 Adding relevant quotes from stakeholders
One way to make a CEO announcement press release more powerful is to embellish it with quotes.
You don't have to look far and wide - you should include quotes from your internal team. For example, quotes from the C-suite level, the previous CEO, or other decision-makers would be an amazing choice.
Including quotes is super easy in the Press Release Creator. Just drag and drop a text box into your text directly into Prowly and you can make your press releases even more powerful and authentic!
#4 Adding visuals and assets
Press releases are mostly focused on text, but that does not mean they cannot be pleasing to the eye.
Great photos and visual assets are going to make your press release more readable. It will also give journalists more materials to grab when they cover your new CEO announcement.
This is not rocket science - just make sure to cover the basics. Include the company logo where relevant and accompany it with a few good shots of the new CEO.
Pro tip: With Prowly, you can embed your social media posts (LinkedIn, YouTube, and more) into press releases in a matter of a few clicks.
#5 Boilerplate and logo
A boilerplate is a short paragraph highlighting the key information that the journalist should know about your company. This is core business information - what you do and who you do it for.
It should also be accompanied by your business logo. The boilerplate should not change in your press releases unless a major change occurs.
Pro tip: You can create spokespeople cards for your press releases in one click so that the journalist knows everything about your company + the person they should get in touch with.
Want to start crafting your press release? You can find a variety of free templates in the Press Release Creator tool, including a press release template for new CEOs.
What to include in a new CEO press release?
Here comes the hard part - what to include in the CEO announcement press release?
Here are the key elements you should not forget:
- Provide the CEO's background, experience, and qualifications. This will give the audience a good idea of why they were appointed to the position.
- State the key announcement clearly. Announce it in a way that anyone with a basic knowledge of English can understand it.
- Include some quotes from the new CEO. This should be something impactful that shows the world who they are.
- Highlight the CEO's value proposition. Explain how it benefits the future of the company.
And just like that, you have the most relevant parts of the CEO announcement press release.
You can start creating your press release right away, or get inspired by the leadership change announcement example first.
Create a new CEO press release with AI
AI-powered tools for PR can help you create high-quality press release drafts, provide advanced editing suggestions, and even recommend who to send your press release to.
While it's worth knowing how to create an effective press release from scratch, using tools can help speed up the process and ensure you've ticked all the boxes regarding the format and content that journalists expect to receive.
Read more: Mastering AI Press Releases: Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Sending + Practical Examples
Here’s how to create (and send) a new CEO press release using a tool like Prowly’s AI-powered Press Release Generator.
Step 1: Enter basic details about your press release
- Start the process by entering the type of your press release.
- Once you select the type, Prowly's AI will ask you to pick your target audience. There are predefined options, such as industry players, customers, or local communities, but you can also add your own.
- Choose the language of your press release draft.
Step 2: Enter key messages of your new CEO press release
Here, you'll want to be as specific as possible and ensure that whatever you choose is the most relevant information about your new CEO announcement.
You can use the list of questions provided in the "How to write" section of this guide to help you get started.
Here are three examples of key messages that you can provide for your new CEO press release:
- Leadership Experience and Qualifications: Highlight the new CEO's relevant experience, qualifications, and track record of success in previous roles. This will help establish their credibility and expertise.
- Strategic Vision and Goals: Clearly articulate the new CEO's vision for the company's future and the key strategic goals they intend to achieve. This will provide stakeholders with a sense of direction and excitement for the company's future.
- Commitment to Company Culture and Values: Emphasize the new CEO's commitment to preserving and promoting the company's existing culture and values. This will help reassure employees, customers, and other stakeholders that the company's core principles will remain intact.
Step 3: Answer the follow-up questions
Once you’ve entered the basic information about your new CEO press release, Prowly’s AI will ask you more in-depth questions designed to mirror a natural conversation with the journalists you’re targeting.
You’ll receive ten questions tailored specifically to the content you shared earlier. This will complete your press release draft and reduce the need to answer many follow-up questions from the person you're pitching to.
Step 4: Customize and edit the press release draft
Whether you've generated a press release draft or written it yourself, you can adjust header font styles, fine-tune the content just like you would in a regular text editor, adjust your press release length, and cater it into a format you're happy with.
An AI Assistant trained in PR writing best practices reviews the draft and suggests improvements based on 11 key criteria, indicating exactly where to edit.
Step 5: Get contact recommendations for your press release
Prowly’s AI will start suggesting journalists you can pitch to based on the keywords found in your press release.
As long as you have contact information for the people you want to pitch to, you can always do deeper work and find out what kind of companies and hiring changes they've covered before, or what they're writing about at the moment.
New CEO press release example
So far, we've talked over theory. Let's get to the practice. Here is a press release example that you can learn from.
Under Armour Announces CEO Transition - The well-known sportswear company announced their new CEO to start in June 2022.
What we love about this press release
💬 Aleksandra Kubicka, Prowly's PR Evangelist explains why she chose this press release example:
- They don't only talk about the new CEO. "The old CEO is stepping down and they summarize what this person achieved and how they contributed to the company. They show gratitude and appreciation for their work, through relevant quotes."
- It shows the bigger picture. "Instead of just talking about themselves, they go broader. They cover their current marketing position, long-term goals, mission and vision, and how the new transition will contribute to those goals."
New CEO press release template
Maybe you don't feel like writing a CEO announcement press release or you're not sure how to do it well. The great news is that you can use a CEO press release template in Prowly!
All you have to do is sign up for Prowly, head to the template library, and choose the one that best suits your needs! The classic, customizable press release template would fit this topic perfectly.
Distribute your new CEO press release
Once you get your press release published, it's time to think of ways to distribute it for maximum exposure. Your company website is a good start, but you need to go further than that for the best results.
Here is how.
Use a good quality media database
Start off your new CEO appointment properly and invest in a good media database such as Prowly. You don't have to worry about reaching out and finding individual journalists - they are all in Prowly.
When we say "all," we mean it. Prowly has over one million contacts, which includes 5,148 contacts to journalists and another 3,056 to media outlets. And this is just in the United States!
💡If you're seeking more exposure for your press release, explore these 10 ideas on how to effectively promote a press release.
Wire service and buying a business press release media contact list
A wire service is a news agency that sends out syndicated news articles so that other media outlets can use them. They do the "hard work" so that other journalists can pick up the news, formulate it and publish it on their own platforms. Examples of international wire services include the Associated Press, Reuters and others.
The problem with wire services is that good journalists tend to avoid them. If you're looking for a genuine way to make meaningful connections with journalists, this is not it.
Pro tip: You can add your new CEO press release to your online newsroom and combine PR with SEO to get double the results with the same work.
Conclusion
A new CEO announcement press release is a powerful way to get attention on your brand, mission, and vision - not just the new CEO. Use this opportunity to tell a story about the appointment as well as where the company is headed in the future.
And thanks to these tips and a template, creating this press release is a breeze.
If you're a PR professional and want to create and distribute better press releases more quickly - make sure to give Prowly a try! We have all the tools in one place to create your press release and get it noticed!
