Doug Day: CEO Leaving Gift Celebration
Creating a surprise moment of recognition, celebration, and legacy for a beloved leader
🎉 100+ eCards sent | 🎥 2 tribute videos | 📚 Custom leaving book | 💬 Global employee engagement spike | 🧡 Legacy celebrated with heart
🔍 The Challenge: Saying Goodbye to a Cultural Icon
When a long-standing, deeply respected CEO steps down, it can feel like the end of an era. Without a thoughtful plan, their departure can risk becoming just another update in the company feed.
Typical leaving gifts didn’t reflect the scale of his impact, and employees across the globe wanted a way to say thank you.
This moment called for something bigger — something that captured the legacy, the gratitude, and the human connection Doug brought to work every day.
📌 Background: A Farewell That Felt Like Doug
Doug had sent 375 personal Monday messages over the years, each one anchoring the week with clarity, care, and humility.
As he prepared to transition out of his role, we wanted to return the favor — and ensure the send-off felt as meaningful and personal as the leadership he embodied.
So, I led the creation of Doug Day: a surprise, company-wide takeover of our internal comms hub (boom!) that transformed his final week into a celebration of leadership, legacy, and love.
🛠️ My Role: Strategy, Campaign Planning & Cultural Experience
I owned the end-to-end planning, messaging, and creative execution of Doug Day, partnering with our brand and designer team, the Executive Leadership Team, and global experience managers to deliver a truly unforgettable farewell.
Key initiatives included:
Doug Day Engagement Hub
Platform Takeover
Created a temporary Doug Day hub on boom!
Designed the space with Doug’s dog, quotes, and inside jokes
Launched custom “Happy Doug Day” eCards so employees could send him notes directly
Recognition & Storytelling
Activated a “Doug’s Wall of Fame” to showcase eCards and employee messages in real time
Introduced the campaign with the line:
“Doug has sent 375 messages to us. Now it’s our turn to send him one.”
Produced two tribute videos:
One from the ELT, sharing reflections and gratitude
One crowdsourced from employees around the world, highlighting personal memories
Created a digital slideshow of milestones, celebrating Doug’s impact over the years
Legacy Keepsake
Compiled all messages and visuals into a printed recognition book
Delivered the book to Doug as a final thank-you gift from the global team
Included a personal letter on behalf of every RGER — a tangible reminder of the difference he made
💥 The Results: A Farewell That Became a Cultural Moment
Doug Day created a ripple effect of appreciation, from leaders to interns, from Sydney to Boston.
💬 100+ eCards sent across time zones in one day
🎥 2 tribute videos capturing heartfelt stories and leadership reflections
📚 Printed leaving book gifted to Doug with every message preserved
📈 Significant engagement spike on boom! during Doug Day week
🧡 Unanimous employee sentiment: “One of the most meaningful send-offs ever”
❤️ Why It Matters
Leadership transitions usually focus on what’s next, but this was about honoring what was.
Doug Day wasn’t just a farewell. It was a cultural celebration. It reminded us that recognition can be powerful, lasting, and deeply human, especially when it comes from the people whose lives you’ve touched.
In the end, Doug didn’t just leave behind results.
He left behind a legacy.
And we made sure he knew it.
