Tommy Preston Jr. (’23)

Tommy Preston Jr. (’23)

Global Chief Talent Officer, Boeing

Tommy Preston, Jr. is Boeing’s Global Chief Talent Officer and Vice President of Global Talent, Development & Employee Experience. In this role, Tommy leads a global team that is accountable for the strategic direction related to how Boeing attracts, onboards, develops, and retains talent. Tommy is also charged with enhancing the employee experience and embedding company culture and values at each stage of every employee’s career. Tommy reports directly to Boeing’s Chief Human Resources Officer.

Prior to this role, Tommy was the global vice president of Ethics at The Boeing Company, where he led the modernization of an employee-centric, data-driven organization focused on strengthening compliance and ethical behavior aligned to company values. He also led efforts to further embed the Global Compliance team at Boeing sites through localized engagement, training, and support, and to enhance the company’s Speak Up culture, reporting channels, and anti-retaliation policy.

Tommy began his Boeing career in the Government Operations organization, where he was responsible for protecting and advancing Boeing’s interests, competitiveness, and reputation, and provided counsel on various regulatory and public policy issues. He supported myriad business unit programs, including 787, Space Launch System, and Missile and Weapon Systems across multiple sites. He was particularly instrumental in helping shape a positive culture at Boeing South Carolina in the early days of the site, and in establishing Boeing as an important corporate citizen in the state. Tommy also served as co-chair of the company’s Racial Equity Task Force and collaborated with stakeholders to advance key measures of diversity and inclusion within the company.

Prior to joining Boeing, Tommy was in private practice where he represented companies and organizations, including Boeing, on economic development, public policy, employment, compliance, and regulatory matters. He also worked with clients to develop and implement programs to help minimize risks and ensure compliance with state and local regulatory and ethics requirements.

Tommy graduated with a degree in political science from the University of South Carolina and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law. As an undergraduate student, Tommy was a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar and served as student body president. Tommy is the recipient of the prestigious Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, the highest honor awarded to a University of South Carolina student. Tommy remains active at his alma mater. He served a two-year term as president of the university’s Alumni Association. He was the youngest and first person of color in the university’s history to serve in this position. He also represented alumni as a voting member of the university’s Board of Trustees.

Tommy continues to stay connected to his home state. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Charleston Wine and Food Festival; is a Liberty Fellow through the Aspen Global Leadership Network; and recently ended a term chairing the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance Board of Directors – he was the first African American to serve as Chair in the organization’s 121-year history.

Tommy resides in Charleston, South Carolina. He and his wife, Felicia, are proud parents to three children.