Hansel Tookes grew up in Tallahassee, Florida and attended Florida State University during the Civil Rights Era as one of only eight Black students in a class of 5,000. After college, he joined the Navy to avoid being drafted and became a pilot. He later worked as a pilot for United Airlines before being laid off, at which point he was hired by United Technologies to work in engineering despite initially being turned down. He rose through the ranks there over 20 years to become an EVP. He then served as President of Pratt & Whitney and later Raytheon Aircraft. His first corporate board seats came when he was in his 50s at Corning and Ryder, after Vernon Jordan left those boards and they sought another Black director.
He stresses the importance of understanding governance, finance, and operations fundamentals before joining a board. He believes boards should have diversity of thought, and recommends starting on the audit committee. He advocates that aspiring Black directors get involved with nonprofits to learn governance and build relationships. While his race enabled his first board seats, he brought strong operating experience. He believes board diversity brings better discussions and decisions.
To increase Black representation, existing directors must actively mentor and sponsor Black candidates. He worries the Supreme Court could reverse recent gains, so constant effort is needed, as boards will not diversify on their own. Overall, he believes progress requires speaking up on diversity issues and pushing companies to build diverse leadership pipelines.
