Zahid Yoosufani Named Director of Petroleum Extension Service (PETEX) at The University of Texas at Austin

AUSTIN, Texas, June 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 1, 2013, Zahid Yoosufani assumed the role of director and unit leader for the Petroleum Extension Service (PETEX™) at The University of Texas at Austin. Since its inception in 1944, PETEX has become a leading educator and a "trainer of choice" for workers at all levels of the oil and gas industry in both Texas and around the world. As director, Yoosufani provides leadership to all components of PETEX including instructor-led training, publications and e-learning tools. PETEX is a department of the university's Division of Continuing and Innovative Education (CIE).

Yoosufani's appointment comes from Jeff Treichel, executive director, ad interim, of CIE. In addition to PETEX, CIE is comprised of the K-16 Education Center, Professional Development Center, Thompson Conference Center, University Extension and University of Texas-University Charter School.

"Zahid has expertly managed PETEX in the last year as the interim director, including the creation of new e-products and business development. He also brings a wealth of knowledge to this role, both from his three and a half years at PETEX and his previous experience from a long and successful career at IBM," said Treichel. "Zahid brings such a forward-thinking approach to his work at PETEX that it has been exciting to watch his innovations take hold in our division and become new standards of training in the oil and gas industry. I look forward with great anticipation to seeing how Zahid will take PETEX and its clients to the next frontier in top-of-the-line training—either online, in the classroom or on a mobile device."

As interim director, Yoosufani has achieved significant market growth for PETEX by introducing new training products and publications, enhancing customer service and growing the PETEX customer base worldwide. His international experience and engineering background, coupled with his deep understanding of global business and cultural environments, has allowed PETEX to penetrate new regions and form key alliances with several international companies. While Yoosufani has managed all product and service lines over the last year, he has also been instrumental in the development and launch of innovative e-learning tools and products such as e-books, streaming videos and animations, online skills analysis and assessment tools.

Yoosufani came to CIE in 2009 after serving 30 years at IBM where he held a variety of technology and management positions. His last position for IBM was senior advisor for IBM Global Services Market Intelligence Center of Excellence where he formed a worldwide community of IBM sales and marketing teams to define the needs for market information and leverage the resources for efficiency, speed and execution. Previous to IBM, he held positions in finance, as Controller for ARA Services/Aetna Insurance in Hartford, Connecticut, and education, as Chairman and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering at the Mehran University of Engineering & Technology in Pakistan.

Yoosufani earned a Master's of Science in Manufacturing/Mechanical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor's of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from the University of Karachi in Pakistan. Yoosufani is also active in the non-profit sector where he volunteers to promote educational and training opportunities for the poor and support environmental causes in third world countries. He is also a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

About PETEX:

In 1944, the Texas state legislature mandated that The University of Texas at Austin provide training to workers in the oil and gas industry, resulting in the establishment of the Petroleum Extension Service (PETEX), a department of the Division of Continuing and Innovative Education. For 69 years, PETEX has earned a strong, industry-wide reputation as the trainer of choice through its quality programs, strong client relationships and access to the educational resources at the University. PETEX trains workers with comprehensive instructor-led courses, up-to-date publications and mobile learning tools, all designed to help ensure that industry workers are fully trained and highly skilled. www.petex.org.

Contact: Wayne Wenske, Division of Continuing and Innovative Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 512-232-7392, Email

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SOURCE Petroleum Extension Service