Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY) appointed Marshall D. “Mark” Smith as senior executive vice president and CFO for its subsidiary, California Resources Corp., Occidental said July 15.

Most recently, Smith was senior vice president and CFO of Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: UPL), also based in Houston, Occidental said.

He has 32 years’ experience in the energy industry, including in corporate finance, the company said. He began his career as a petroleum engineer, the company added.

At Constellation Energy, from 2004 to 2005, he was vice president of upstream business development; he was vice president of business development at J.M. Huber Energy from 2002 to 2004; and he was CFO of Gulf Liquids Inc. from 2001 to 2002, Occidental added.

Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and an MBA from Oklahoma City University, the company said.

“I’m pleased to add Mark to the California Resources executive management team,” said Todd A. Stevens, president and CEO of California Resources Corp.

“His background in corporate finance, combined with expertise in petroleum engineering and deep understanding of operating independent oil and gas companies, will be a tremendous asset to the company,” Stevens added.

Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. explores and produces natural gas and oil worldwide.