Ronnie K. Irani of Oklahoma City, an entrepreneur and a geoscience enthusiast whose 43 years in the energy industry led to many commercial developments in oil and gas.
Ronnie K. Irani is founder and CEO of RKI Energy Resources, LLC, a privately held energy company headquartered in Oklahoma City. He previously was president and CEO of RKI Exploration & Production, which he founded in 2005 and built into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise prior to its sale in 2015. He has over 43 years of experience in the energy industry, serving in senior executive-level positions in numerous public and private companies.
Irani has been actively engaged in nonprofit organizations and has given significant time and resources for the betterment of the community, including the University of Oklahoma. At OU, he is a past chairman and emeritus member of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy’s Board of Visitors and is a past chairman of the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering Advisory Board. Irani is a loyal supporter of OU and works closely with the students at the Ronnie K. Irani Center for Energy Solutions in Mewbourne College and the Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth in the Price College of Business.
Outside of OU, Irani has served on numerous boards, including the OKC Boathouse Foundation, Oklahoma Energy Explorers, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. He also has served his profession with his service on the Committee for Sustaining Oklahoma’s Energy Resources, the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board and the Oklahoma Petroleum Alliance, formerly known as the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association. He has held leadership roles on many of these boards.
Irani has received numerous higher education, professional and business awards, including the OU Regents’ Alumni Award and the Trailblazer Award from Mewbourne College for his lifetime achievements and contributions in the energy industry. His other honors include the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Industry Service Award, Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association’s Member of the Year award and an honorary doctorate from Oklahoma City University.
Irani earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Bombay University, India, in 1977. He also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in petroleum engineering from the University of Oklahoma, as well as an MBA from Oklahoma City University. He has also completed the Executive Management Program offered by the Independent Petroleum Association of America in conjunction with Harvard University.