ABU DHABI - PROFILE - Yusuf Bin Omeir Bin Yusuf.

In his early 40s, Yusuf is the CEO of ADNOC and secretary general of the Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC), key positions he took on Nov. 22, 1994, after the resignation of Suhail Al Mazroui. From November 1990 to Feb. 19, 1994, Yusuf was the UAE's minister of petroleum and mineral resources, having succeeded Mana Said Al Otaiba. Yusuf also chair's ADNOC's executive committee responsible for discussing and following up all company business.

Yusuf, a bright technocrat with a degree in economics and political science from the University of Arizona, moved to the UAE oil ministry from ADIA's Far East Department. He also worked at the Petroleum Department, which was abolished in June 1988. Yusuf is the son of a wealthy Abu Dhabian merchant, whose business activities include the local agency for General Motors and partnerships with members of the ruling family.

Yusuf oversaw the reorganisation of ADNOC in October 1998. It has since become a holding concern conducting its business as an integrated company. Now it has eight autonomous economic units called directorates. It was explained that these units were set up in order to "specify accountability and improve efficiency and effectiveness".

The eight units are: (1) the E&P Directorate, under Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, is in charge of the upstream sector; (2) the Gas Processing Directorate, under Rashid Bin Saif Al Suwaidi, is in charge of the gas plants and JVs; (3) the Chemicals Directorate under Abdullah Bin Said Al Badi, responsible for the Borouge olefins project; (4) the crude oil and products Marketing and Refining Directorate under Mohammed Al Hamli, responsible for the newly created Abu Dhabi Refining Co. (Refco); (5) the Shared Services Directorate, under Said Ahmad Al Ajlan, is the biggest operating divisions and oversees logistical and other companies; (6) the Management Support Directorate, under Ahmad Ali Al Sayegh; (7) the Finance Directorate, under Nasser Ahmad Al Suwaidi; and (8) the Finance Directorate, under Nasser Ahmad Al Suwaidi.