Skip to Main Content
The University of Texas Permian Basin
|
  • Canvas
  • myUTPB
  • Library
  • Success Stories
  • Calendar
  • Directory
  • En Español
  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Parents
UTPB logo
Menu
  • Request Info
  • Visit
  • Apply
  • Academics
    • Academics
      • Colleges
      • Undergraduate Studies
      • Graduate Studies
      • STEM Academy
      • Online Learning
      • Advising & Support
      • Registration
      • Dual Credit
      • Professional Education
      • Academic Affairs
      • All Degrees & Programs
      • Course Catalogs
      • Course Schedule
  • Admissions & Aid
    • Admissions & Aid
      • Apply to UT Permian Basin
      • Visit UT Permian Basin
      • Tuition & Affordability
      • Financial Aid
      • Student Accounts
      • Scholarships
      • New Student Checklist
      • Student Orientation
      • Course Credit & Testing
      • Veterans Services
      • Request a Transcript
      • Transfer Thursdays
      • Virtual College Fair
  • Life at UTPB
    • Life at UTPB
      • Student Life at UTPB
      • Housing & Dining
      • Health & Wellness
      • Student Services
      • Dean of Students
      • Parking & Transportation
      • Maps & Facilities
      • Campus Recreation
      • Career Services
      • Technology & Laptops
      • COVID-19 Emergency Fund
  • Community Impact
    • Community Impact
      • Falcon Success Stories
      • Research Activities
      • Small Business Development
      • Nancy Fyfe Cardozier Gallery
      • Texas Water Energy Institute
      • JBS Leadership Institute
      • Bookstore
      • Wagner Noël
      • Science Fair
      • Coronavirus Information
  • Athletics
  • About Us
    • About Us
      • Administration
      • President's Welcome
      • Mission & History
      • Quick Facts About UTPB
      • About the Permian Basin
      • Accreditation & Awards
      • Strategic Plan
      • Contact Us
  • Give
  • Canvas
  • myUTPB
  • Library
  • Success Stories
  • Calendar
  • Directory
  • En Español
Info For:
  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Parents
  • Home
  • 2019
  • January 2019
  • Alumnus and Concho Resources CEO: Success Starts with Higher Ed
UT Permian Basin Blogs
  • Share

Alumnus and Concho Resources CEO: Success Starts with Higher Ed

General
Jan 09, 2019
By Tatum Guinn - Communications Manager

To “make it” in the Permian Basin, some might argue that it takes grit mixed with vision. If you need an example of what that looks like, get to know Concho Resources CEO and UT Permian Basin alumnus Tim Leach. He moved to Midland as a young college graduate, looking to start his career. 

tim leach sitting

“The Permian Basin is where all of the action was happening in the oilfield at that time,” Leach said. “I also wanted to continue my education – that’s why I chose Midland. It was really important for me to go some place where I could work and go to night school.”

Leach earned his MBA from the University of Texas Permian Basin. It was a major milestone in his professional success and a concept he believes in today: a region’s success is directly tied to its ability to offer a higher education.

“We need a homegrown workforce. Higher education is an important part of that – UT Permian Basin is an important part of that,” Leach said. “There are going to be more jobs generated over the next 50 years and we need an educated workforce.” 

Today, Leach leads one of the top performing companies in the energy industry. Concho Resources has become the biggest and one of the most active drillers in the Permian Basin, the premier US shale oil play. In the last year, the company has increased its drilling by nearly 50-percent – producing over 286,000 barrels of oil per day.

Leach has invested in creating a workspace unlike any others in Midland – they call it the Concho Employees’ Center.

“Our goals were simple: to make the lives of our employees easier, enhance our company culture and encourage collaboration across our workforce,” Leach said.

The Center includes meeting spaces, a cafeteria, medical facility, fitness center and childcare.

“By creating a campus that fits the needs of our employees, everyone wins,” Leach said. “The payoff has both tangible and intangible benefits.”

tim leach standing in conference roomLeach sits on numerous boards, making decisions that will impact the region for years to come. His work has earned him many awards, including being named the 2018 Permian Basin International Oil Show honoree, the 2017 Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Oil & Gas Association, the 2011 "Top Hand Award" from the Permian Basin Petroleum Association and being inducted into the Petroleum Museum Hall of Fame in 2013.

Part of Leach’s mission is to prepare communities in West Texas for future success.

“Recently, the CEOs of the most active companies got together and we talked about our business plans. It’s an exciting time for our region,” Leach said. “But we also talked about the problems we have and the things that keep us up at night.”

He says those challenges have very little to do with the oilfield.

“We can drill, we can complete wells, we can get frac sand, we can build pipelines – those things are not a major worry for us,” Leach said. “It’s education, housing, doctors and roads. All things that we aren’t used to having to build.”

He says the key ingredient to solving those problems is higher education.

“At the very top of the education pyramid is UT Permian Basin. It’s going to be the key to the success of all of these companies in the Permian Basin for the next 50 years,” Leach said.

Related Stories

New Semester Begins Monday

Jan 09, 2019
place holder

College of Engineering to Host Robotics Competition this Weekend

Jan 22, 2019
Kites flying over UTPB

Champions Fund Pushes Student Athletes to Success

Jan 23, 2019

Categories

  • Alumni
    News
  • Faculty and Staff
    News
  • General
    News
  • Have You Met..?
    News
  • President’s Perspective
    News
  • Why UTPB?
    News

  • 2020
    • 10
    • 09
    • 08
    • 07
    • 06
    • 05
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • 12
    • 11
    • 10
    • 09
    • 08
    • 07
    • 06
    • 05
    • 04
    • 03
    • 02
    • 01
  • 2017
    • 12
    • 11
    • 10
    • 09
    • 08
Back to Top
UTPB Logo
  • Visit
  • Request Info
  • Apply
  • Give to UTPB
Quick Links
  • Offices & Services
  • Technology Help
  • Careers
  • Bookstore
  • Offices & Services
  • Technology Help
  • Careers
  • Bookstore
  • Contact Us
  • Map & Directions
  • Phone: 432-552-2020
  • En Español
  • Visit us on Facebook
  • Visit us on Twitter
  • Visit us on YouTube
  • Visit us on LinkedIn
  • Visit us on Flickr
Resources
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination & Title IX Reporting
  • Counseling & Mental Health
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Required Links
  • Complaint Resolution
  • UT System
  • State of Texas
  • Statewide Search
  • Texas Homeland Security
  • Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
  • CARES Act Reporting
  • Resources:
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination & Title IX Reporting
  • Counseling & Mental Health
  • Emergency Preparedness
  • Required Links
  • Complaint Resolution
  • UT System
  • State of Texas
  • Statewide Search
  • Texas Homeland Security
  • Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
  • CARES Act Reporting
  • Copyright © 2021 The University of Texas Permian Basin
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap