Executive Hire Press Release Template
Hire announcements are the workhorse of trade-press coverage, 'people moves' columns exist in nearly every industry publication, and they need exactly this release. The credibility transfer is the story: where your new executive came from and what they're here to do.
When to use this
Use this for C-suite appointments, VP+ hires, board members, and advisors with recognizable names. Individual contributor hires aren't press releases.
The template
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [COMPANY] Appoints [NAME] as [TITLE] [Optional subheadline: the credibility hook, former company or notable achievement] [CITY, State] — [Date] — [Company], [one-line company description], today announced the appointment of [NAME] as [TITLE]. [LAST NAME] joins from [PREVIOUS COMPANY], where [he/she/they] [most impressive achievement with a number]. In the new role, [LAST NAME] will [mandate, what they own]. [Paragraph 2: why this hire, why now: the growth stage or challenge that created the role.] "[Quote from CEO: what this person's arrival means for the company's next chapter]," said [CEO NAME], [TITLE] of [COMPANY]. [Paragraph 3: the new hire's background: previous roles, companies, quantified wins.] "[Quote from the new hire: why they chose this company, conviction about the market or mission]," said [NEW HIRE NAME]. About [COMPANY] [Boilerplate] Media Contact: [NAME], [TITLE] [EMAIL] [PHONE] [COMPANY WEBSITE] ###
A complete example
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Acme Appoints Former Stripe Executive Jane Doe as Chief Revenue Officer AUSTIN, Texas — October 1, 2026 — Acme, the operations platform for independent restaurants, today announced the appointment of Jane Doe as Chief Revenue Officer. Doe joins from Stripe, where she built the SMB go-to-market organization from 12 to 140 people and grew segment revenue eightfold. At Acme, Doe will lead sales, partnerships, and customer success as the company scales past 3,000 restaurant customers. The appointment follows Acme's Series B and a year in which the company tripled revenue, creating the need for a unified revenue organization. "Jane has done exactly this before: taken a product SMBs love and built the machine that gets it to hundreds of thousands of them," said John Smith, CEO of Acme. Before Stripe, Doe held revenue leadership roles at Square and Toast, giving her a decade of experience selling software to restaurant and retail operators. "Independent restaurants are the most underserved segment in B2B software, and Acme is the first product I've seen them genuinely love," said Doe. "I'm here to make sure every one of them knows it exists." About Acme Acme builds operations software for independent restaurants. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Acme serves more than 3,000 restaurants across the United States. Media Contact: Sam Lee, Head of Communications press@acme.com (512) 555-0142 acme.com ###
Tips from the wire desk
The previous company is the headline hook. 'Former Stripe executive' does more work than any adjective.
Quantify their track record: teams built, revenue grown, products shipped.
The new hire's quote should show conviction about your market, not gratitude for the job.
Send to your industry's trade publications, nearly all run people-moves columns that need this exact release.
Include a high-resolution headshot with the release; it doubles placement odds in trades.
Common questions
Is a VP hire newsworthy?
In trade press, yes: if the person's background is notable or the role signals strategy (first VP of AI, first international hire). National press, rarely.
Should the release mention who they replace?
Only for planned transitions with goodwill on both sides. Otherwise omit, the release is about the future.
Skip the blanks
Let the builder assemble this for you, free.