Saiyid Zafar Kamal
Lecturer
Bio
Saiyid Zafar Kamal, PhD., brings over 30 years of experience in strategic growth and technology commercialization of complex multidisciplinary systems and solutions in global roles as related to O&G, Energy and Process manufacturing industry. His executive leadership includes new product initiatives, engineering teams, rejuvenation of product portfolios, delivery, and support services. He has led, and provides advice, in developing innovative and disruptive technologies, adapting capability from other industries, and integrating sensors, automation, data, analytics, optimization, and AI/ML to create beneficial systems.
Dr. Kamal has expertise in general management, strategy, R&D, execution, commercialization, and leading change across global multidisciplinary teams to take open-ended / new initiatives to self-sustaining and profitable operations. In addition to having his ongoing advisory practice and his Adjunct Role at the Bauer College of Business, he has been the CTO at OFI Testing Equipment, and held senior executive leadership positions at BP, GE, ThermoFisher Scientific, and ABB.
Zafar's interest in developing and "making real" technology enabled solutions started early as a student. Initially, as an undergraduate student research assistant helping with leading-edge developments in geophysical modeling for O&G exploration, and then working at the Systems Design Laboratory applying advanced computational capabilities like AI and ML to the design of systems. He spent five summers (1985-1989) during graduate school consulting for companies like NL Industries (Houston), BF Goodrich (Brecksville OH), Boyce engineering (Houston), and the Netherlands Ship Modeling Basin (from Houston). After completion of his Ph.D. he worked as a hands-on Artificial Intelligence engineer at M.W.Kellogg (1990), and as a management consultant working for SHL starting in 1993 engaged with technology-led business process re-engineering in the process industries. Subsequently, he joined ABB in 1996 (Houston) as a management consultant, in 1997, he was made the director of product management (Rochester, NY), and then a Vice President and Global Business Manager (Cleveland OH). In 2003, he joined ThermoFisher Scientific (Houston, TX) as the director of R&D and Marketing, he was soon given increasing responsibilities as the Vice President of R&D, Marketing and Commercial Development covering the high growth regions of China, India, and South America. At the end of 2007, Dr. Kamal joined GE in Charlottesville VA as Director and General Manager with various roles in commercialization, business management, and customer support. In 2012, he returned to Houston to join BP as leader for technology development and integration leading multiple initiatives. He started his own consulting practice for technology commercialization and digitally enable operational excellence called B2XL in 2015. He joined OFITE in 2017 and was the CTO at OFITE until 2023.
With over 35 publications, he has a BS and MS in Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Operations Research with concentration in Applied AI and Systems Design – all from the University of Houston. He considers Houston home and loves to spend time with his wife, children, and grandchildren – in his "me time" his likes to read, cook, walk and run.