What new Disney CEO told employees; Ramp product chief tells employees vibe coding is mandatory

Greetings, comms pros! Let’s take a look at a few news stories from the last week and see what we can learn from them.

1. New Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro gets personal while sharing his vision for the future

New Disney chief executive Josh D’Amaro’s first-day memo to the company’s employees was full of both nostalgia for the company’s past and a desire to look to the future. In an internal memo obtained by Business Insider, D’Amaro made multiple references to his personal experience with the brand both as a fan and employee. The note also thanked former CEO Bob Iger for his tenure in the role and struck an optimistic tone.

More than 40 years ago, my family took me to Disneyland for the first time. One of the first attractions we rode was Peter Pan’s Flight, inspired by the animated film so many families already knew and loved. I can still picture my father’s face when our pirate ship lifted into the dark. As we flew over London, he leaned in and said, “See, I told you. It feels like we’re flying!” I remember that moment clearly. It was joy. It was family. And it was Disney.

I have thought about that moment many times because it captures something essential about this company. At its best, Disney creates stories, characters, and experiences that people connect with deeply and carry with them for a lifetime. That takes exceptional creativity, craftsmanship, and thousands of people united by a shared commitment to excellence.

D’Amaro stated that the three main priorities Disney will be its storytelling, its use of tech and its ability to work as a cohesive business across functions.

When D’Amaro states that no other company is capable of what Disney can do, he’s framing the organization as operating in a category all its own. While it does serve as a way of inspiring employee pride amid a leadership transition, it also helps stabilize confidence during a time of change. D’Amaro communicates that Disney is strong and will continue to function from a position of authority in the entertainment space — a welcome step when employees have a new leader enter the top job.

D’Amaro makes the company’s priorities clear. This informs employees of what their north stars need to be, but are also broad enough to allow them to fit into the twists and turns that a company as large as Disney is bound to encounter over D’Amaro’s term in the top job.

2. Ramp’s chief of product tells employees who don’t vibe code that they’re underperforming

Ramp’s chief product officer, Geoff Charles, got pretty blunt on the “Behind the Craft” podcast earlier this week, stating that employees who aren’t using AI to help them code are falling behind their colleagues who are using automation on the job.

“If you’re not using Claude code this year, no matter what your role is, you’re probably underperforming compared to others in the company,” he said.

He explained that the company has levels of AI proficiency, with Level 0 being people who occasionally use ChatGPT, and Level 3 being employees who use automation to create new systems.

“The people who are still in L0, they will most likely not be at the company,” Charles said. “If you’re not a self-starter and you don’t have that growth mindset, it’s going to be very, very hard to train.”

Charles makes it clear that Ramp is making AI usage a baseline expectation, not an optional skill. Leadership is clearly linking day-to-day AI usage to job security. The level system that Charles shares also reinforces that by making performance visible. Employees can see exactly where they stand and what happens if they don’t move up.

This kind of message quickly transitions from expectation to enforcement. It also shifts the burden of adaptation entirely onto employees, with minimal signaling around support or transition. In these situations, internal communicators should create messaging that clearly delineates what good AI usage looks like and share concrete steps employees can take to level up.

3. Study: Most employers say their goals are clear, but few employees understand them

According to Slingshot’s Digital Work Trends Report, 84% of employers said that their organizational goals were clear. However, just 23% of employees polled agreed with that assessment. That’s a pretty wide gulf — and a gap internal comms can address.

The data signals that internal communication about goals from leaders to employees is not working. It’s up to internal communicators to bridge the gap in a way that creates a two-way messaging flow between leaders and employees so goals are better understood. For instance, at town hall meetings, comms pros can design the forum to set aside time to explain the why behind company initiatives and aims, rather than just stating that they exist. These points of connection will build a better understanding among employees, and with it, the seeds of a more robust company culture.

4. How about some good news?

• Scientists discovered a way of using bacteria to turn plastic waste into a Parkinson’s drug.
• If you dial 867-5309 — the number from the 80s hit song “Jenny” — you’ll now be connected with a cancer support hotline.
• A transit worker in the UK found an unusual coin while counting bus fares — decades later, his grandson donated it to a museum after realizing it was minted by the Phoenicians over 2,000 years ago.
• Ragan Training is an excellent place for communications professionals to find inspiration and valuable resources.
• You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here!

Have a great weekend comms all-stars!

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications.