Jim R. Look

Biography:

James Look (BSEE, MBA, PE) will be joining the IEEE Board of Directors in January 2020 as the Region 5 Director. Region 5 has over 24,000 members in the mid-part of the United States, including the state of Texas.

Jim spent his entire professional career in the energy industry. After graduating with a BS in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University, he joined a subsidiary of WE Energy in Appleton, Wisconsin. Simultaneously, he completed his MBA, with a specialization in Finance.

In 1975 Jim moved to Houston, Texas, and took a position with ARAMCO Services Company, the U.S. subsidiary of the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO). During his 5.5 years with ARAMCO Services, he performed a wide variety of engineering tasks, including supervising consultants doing system studies for the bulk power system, which was being constructed in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (KSA), performing system planning for ARAMCO’s Utilities Department in Dhahran, KSA, and working as project electrical engineer in large capital projects (over $250 million).

His next move was a transfer, with his wife Cathy, to ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia, where he would spend the next 23 years. Over that period, he held a series of positions in the technical, staff and management areas, primarily in the Oil Operations Business Line. Jim’s initial assignment was as an electrical utility engineer at Ras Tanura, the company’s largest refinery. He then moved through a series of supervisory positions for the VP of Oil Operations. Over the next 15 years he was assigned to a progressive series of engineering supervisory and project management assignments. During much of this time, he was the supervisor of an integrated engineering division directly supporting the daily operations in Saudi ARAMCO’s Northern Area Producing. Northern Area Producing includes world-class onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities with a typical daily production of 3-3.5 million barrels. Jim completed his career as the senior consultant to the VP of Northern Area Oil Operations in 2003.

After relocating to Boulder, CO, he did consulting work for DOE and NREL and volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity. Jim also became much more involved with IEEE, including Section Chair, Regional PACE chair and Region 5 Area Chair. In October 2017, he was elected to Director by a vote of Region 5 members.

Address:Boulder, Colorado, United States