Portrait of Dean Sergent.
AUGUST 9, 2021 | BY SARAH WARREN
Dean Sergent, a 30-year energy industry veteran and current president of North by Northwest, has been named executive director of the Ronnie K. Irani Center for Energy Solutions in the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy at the University of Oklahoma.
First envisioned by OU alumnus Ronnie K. Irani, the Irani Center for Energy Solutions:
Sergent graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor of science degree in petroleum engineering from Marietta College, and earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He serves on the Industry Advisory Board of the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering.
With more than three decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, Sergent has a wealth of experience in the industry as a whole, and focused expertise in the areas of data analytics and mergers and acquisitions.
“I am pleased about the leadership Dean brings to the Irani Center. He is someone who connects the dots – bridging knowledge from multiple sectors within the energy industry in very practical ways. Moreover, he is respected throughout the industry. I cannot think of anyone better to lead the Irani Center for Energy Solutions,” said Mike Stice, dean of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy.
Sergent is the founder of North by Northwest, which focuses on the development of machine-learning techniques and analyses to rigorously quantify the risk and return of wells to be drilled in all of the U.S. resource plays.
Prior to founding North by Northwest, he was a managing partner for a private equity-backed company, where he led the acquisition and investment of interests in U.S. shale resource plays. Sergent was also a senior leader of shale resource development for a Fortune 500 company, where he led the evaluation of a multi-billion-dollar acquisition, supervised an $800 million annual budget, and participated in a research effort to better understand the producibility of shales.
Sergent and his wife, Amy, are active members in the Oklahoma City community and serve on several nonprofit boards. They share a passion for the arts and education, and were instrumental in the successful revitalization of their local inner-city elementary school, which Amy and their three sons attended. They co-founded To Community and Beyond, Inc., a nonprofit that brings diverse kids from various backgrounds together to build relationships, serve their community, and grow as productive citizens and leaders.
The Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy improves people’s lives through research, education and service by studying Earth’s past and present, developing new energy tools and resources, and creating geoscientists and engineers who work across disciplines to address some of society’s most critical challenges.
Sarah Warren is the director of communications and events at the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy. For the last four years, she's been writing and telling the stories of Mewbourne College. Her work has landed stories on Vox, Forbes and countless other news outlets across the country. For media inquiries, you can email Sarah or call her at 405-325-8981.
