For over 34 years Jim Hoffman has worked with providers of business software, consulting and solutions to Upstream Petroleum companies across the United States. Jim has been Regional Manager, Director and VP of Sales for several oil and gas software and consulting organizations, including Oracle Energy, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Artesia Data Systems, all of whom were recognized as leaders in energy business software.
Jim helped four startup tech firms get off to a good start, all of whom provided products and services to Upstream in the areas of Accounting, Joint Interest, Revenue, Land, Production and Purchasing. In working with top management and particularly accounting executives from Majors, Independents and Service companies of all sizes, Jim was able to help those companies not only acquire more effective computer systems and use tools to gather and analyze information vital to the business.
As Sales and Business Development Director for the past 10 years with PDI, a nonprofit 501c3for the benefit of the University of North Texas, Jim provides energy specific financial and business training programs to firms seeking to improve the way they do business. His clients include Independents, Majors, Government Agencies, CPA firms and Banks associated with Oil & Gas. Jim is the author of four courses which he teaches for PDI, including Introduction to Upstream a class he originally developed at Price Waterhouse, and has taught for 17 years to employees of over 400 energy related organizations, Production Operations, for those who need a better understanding of what happens in the field after drilling is complete, Land for Non-Landmen which provides a framework for Oil & Gas Accountants and other non-Land personnel to work effectively with their Land departments understanding the complex world of mineral rights and obligations and Finance for the non-Financial helping those who didn’t go to business school understand the basics of Upstream financial considerations. Additionally he teaches a program called “The Upstream Office”, relating what happens in the field to what happens in the office.
He has had industry and technology articles published in The Oil & Gas Investor and on Oil & Gas Insight.com, has been a periodic columnist for the Petroleum Accounting and Financial Management Journal and was a contributor to the 6th Edition of “Petroleum Accounting”, by Brock & Justice. He has served as VP and Program Director for the University Venture Forum of the University of Texas at Dallas and is a member of the Dallas Chapter of Council of Petroleum Accountants Society (COPAS) where he serves on the North American Petroleum Accounting Conference Committee and is a past member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and IEEE. He is a regular speaker at NAPAC (the North American Petroleum Accounting Conference) on industry fundamentals and land, at PASH (Education Day) on Land and on Business Presentations, and at various COPAS functions. He has also been a speaker at NADOA and NARO conferences.
Jim’s holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Science (Electrical Engineering) from Michigan State University and minors in Economics and Management.