Jamie Walters

Personal & career background

I was born in Sydney and grew up in Wollongong, New South Wales. I graduated from the University of Wollongong in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. In 2006, I began my career as a Graduate Geologist with Anglo American, then known as Anglo Coal.

I worked across coal mines in Central Queensland and the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, in various geological roles until 2010, when I joined Xstrata, now Glencore. I progressed from Mine Geologist to Senior Mine Geologist before becoming Senior Geologist for New South Wales in Glencore’s corporate office.

In 2019, I returned to Brisbane and rejoined Anglo American as a Geology Specialist. In 2021, I became a Geology Modelling Specialist, using MineScape every day to support geological modelling and operational workflows.

After 20 years in the Australian coal mining industry, I joined Datamine as Principal Consultant – Geology for APAC. Like many mining geologists, I have worn many hats throughout my career, and this broad experience now helps me understand and support the different challenges our customers face.

Challenges, projects & learnings 

Can you describe a project you delivered at Datamine that best showcases your expertise?

As Principal Consultant – Geology for APAC, I work closely with the MineScape team. Alongside supporting customers and delivering training sessions and webinars, I contribute to the ongoing enhancement of MineScape Geology.

Having used MineScape for more than six years in the industry, and now working directly with its users, I am well placed to understand their needs and communicate them to the development team.

My primary project is helping to advance MineScape Geology as a market-leading geological modelling solution for coal. This involves combining my practical experience as a coal geologist with direct customer feedback to identify opportunities for improving the software and its geological workflows.

What was your role in the project?

Following significant development of MineScape Engineering, the next phase focuses on enhancing MineScape Geology. I identify and recommend development opportunities based on my industry experience, customer feedback and evolving geological workflows.

I also test new MineScape Geology features before their release to ensure they are practical, reliable and valuable for users. This involves reviewing how the tools perform against real geological workflows and communicating any required changes to the development team.

MineScape 2026 Update 2, scheduled for release towards the end of 2026, is expected to include several exciting improvements for geology customers.

What made this project challenging?

My role serves as a bridge between software users and the development team. One of the main challenges is translating technical mining requirements into language that developers can act upon, while also explaining development processes and technical considerations clearly to customers.

Clear communication is the foundation of a successful project. It ensures that everyone is heard – particularly customers, whose feedback, experience and investment in the software are extremely valuable.

The proof comes from delivering improvements based on that feedback: enhancements that optimise geological workflows and make the software more effective and rewarding to use.

How did the project improve the client’s or operation’s way of working?

Although the new geology tools are still being developed, customer engagement has already been excellent. Users have responded very positively to having an experienced coal geologist directly involved in the software’s development.

This encourages customers to share their questions, challenges and suggestions, knowing that there is a mutual understanding of a geologist’s day-to-day workflow. Their input is helping us develop tools that better support practical tasks, streamline workflows and enable geologists to work more effectively.

The project is also strengthening the connection between users and the development team, creating a more collaborative approach to the future of MineScape Geology.

How does this project experience influence the way you support Datamine customers today?

The feedback I have received from the industry motivates me to continue improving MineScape Geology. In previous roles, I often felt that the available software was good, but that, as an individual user, I had little opportunity to influence its development – particularly in coal, where many solutions are primarily designed around other commodities.

My first ten months at Datamine have shown me that one person’s ideas can make a difference. Through conversations with customers and Datamine consultants worldwide, I have discovered that many geologists share the same challenges and ideas.

This has reinforced that listening is central to customer support – whether the feedback is positive or highlights an area for improvement. I want to understand how customers use the software, collaborate with them on their workflows and learn from their experiences.

Every customer should feel comfortable reaching out for support and know that their ideas will be heard.

Beyond the work

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

I enjoy working on home improvement projects, playing video games and painting miniature figures. I also value spending time with my family and watching films together.