Jake Hood
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Jake Hood learned quickly how small teams can make big impacts in oil and gas. His group of a few talented and motivated individuals navigated capital restructuring and other challenges to help Brazos develop its assets in the Delaware Basin, where it is a leading midstream provider. “At Brazos, I have been empowered to lead several large-scale M&A opportunities,” he says. “These experiences quickly highlighted how much I have yet to learn, but I relied on our team members from various disciplines to develop analyses and presentations. Regardless of the outcome, going through the legwork of these deal processes has been incredibly instructive and rewarding.”
What qualities do you think are necessary to be a good leader in the oil and gas industry?
Strong leaders in this industry build and maintain valuable networks, understanding that collaboration is key to success. They surround themselves with intelligent and ambitious individuals and are the first to credit their teams for success. They possess the courage to take calculated risks and treat people with respect, providing the necessary support for their teams to innovate and achieve.
Which career milestone did you reach sooner than you had planned, and what helped you reach it earlier than expected?
We launched a new company, Brazos Midstream III, via an acquisition in late 2021. I hadn’t expected to start a new venture that early in my career, but fortunately, we had an ambitious team ready to seize the opportunity. Working with our equity and debt capital providers to establish a new entity and gain a foothold in a new basin was an invaluable experience.
What has been your most challenging project to date, and how did you meet the challenge and accomplish your goal?
We’ve recently experienced a highly volatile commodity price environment due to events like Winter Storm Uri and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with both crude and natural gas trading at negative levels in the Permian. In my finance role, these situations completely flipped my usual way of thinking. The team and I worked hard to generate novel and untraditional solutions to provide a high level of service to our customers while maximizing economic benefit. Our successful efforts reinforced that we can continue to navigate these types of unprecedented challenges.
What keeps you motivated and passionate about working in the oil and gas industry?
This industry is dynamic and ever-evolving, constantly presenting new problems to solve, which keeps me engaged and motivated. I enjoy working with the people in our industry—they are intelligent, thoughtful and collaborative, making every challenge a rewarding experience.
Which transformations do you think the industry must undertake for it to thrive in the future?
The oil and gas industry must strive to improve its communication with the public, emphasizing the critical role it plays in providing affordable energy for the growing global population, which is vital to human welfare. It is important to dispel misconceptions and highlight the benefits that reliable energy sources bring to society. Advocating for the positive impacts of the industry can reshape public perception.
Take a look at the rest of the Forty Under 40 2024 winners.
