Rodrigo Klein

Personal & career background

I am Rodrigo Wasem Klein, a Brazilian mining engineer and Production Solutions Consultant who has worked with Datamine for five years. I recently moved to Ottawa, Canada, where I have enjoyed exploring the city’s museums and cultural scene, admiring its architecture and discovering new coffee shops and pâtisseries.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil in 2022.

Before entering the mining industry, I worked as a chemical technician for almost ten years while preparing for a career transition. I wanted to find a role where I could apply the technical knowledge gained through my previous experience while continuing to learn and develop professionally.

Joining Datamine’s newly formed IMS team in 2021 was a defining step in my career. It introduced me to the enterprise software industry and allowed me to build a strong foundation in Production Solutions, with a particular focus on Production Accounting, which remains a central part of my work today.

Challenges, projects & learnings 

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

Every project I have worked on at Datamine has exposed me to different processes and routines within complex metallurgical operations. These experiences have allowed me to collaborate with and learn from some of the mining industry’s leading professionals, deepening my understanding of metal accounting best practices and the challenges of applying them in real operating environments.

One project that best represents my expertise is the implementation of Production Accounting at a major copper-molybdenum operation in Peru.

This project has been particularly significant because I have supported it from the early implementation stages, when the mine was still a greenfield operation, through to its continuing operational development.

Supporting the operation over several years has strengthened my Production Accounting expertise and given me valuable experience in helping a site adapt its systems and processes to support operational performance, metal recovery and business outcomes.

What was your role in the project?

I worked as the Functional Consultant, responsible for translating the operation’s metallurgical and business requirements into an effective Production Accounting configuration.

My role involved collaborating closely with operational teams to understand their processes, data and reporting requirements. I then determined how those requirements could be represented within the solution while ensuring that the configuration accurately reflected the operation’s objectives and maintained the integrity of its metal accounting processes.

I was also directly involved in assessing complex accounting scenarios, evaluating configuration options and identifying practical alternatives when a requirement could not be addressed through the initial approach.

This required both technical knowledge and an understanding of the operational context behind each requirement.

What made this project challenging?

One of the principal challenges was addressing operational requirements that were not always fully aligned with the existing capabilities of the solution.

In these situations, we needed to understand the underlying business need, identify alternative approaches and adapt the configuration without compromising the integrity of the metal accounting process.

The most valuable lesson was the importance of building a strong and transparent relationship with the customer. Open communication ensured that challenges were clearly understood and that solutions could be developed collaboratively through configuration, further research or product enhancements when required.

A successful implementation depends not only on the technology, but also on the ability of the customer and consultant to work together, communicate openly and remain focused on the operational objective.

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

Because the implementation took place alongside the development of the greenfield operation, there was no previous operating state against which to make a direct comparison.

However, the project established automated metal accounting processes from an early stage and provided greater transparency and traceability across the operation’s production results.

Production Accounting created a structured framework for processing, validating and reporting operational information. This gave the team greater confidence in its production data and established a reliable foundation for monitoring performance, metal recovery and business outcomes as the operation continued to evolve.

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

This project reinforced the importance of building strong, trusted relationships with customers.

Working closely with the operation demonstrated that open communication and collaboration are essential for understanding technical challenges, clarifying operational requirements and aligning expectations.

It also taught me to look beyond an initial request and understand the business or metallurgical need behind it. When a requirement cannot be addressed using the expected approach, dedication, research and teamwork can help identify a practical alternative that supports the operation’s objectives without compromising the quality of its metal accounting.

Today, I apply this collaborative and transparent approach to every customer engagement. My goal is to ensure that customers feel understood, that challenges are addressed openly and that the final solution is both technically robust and practical for the operation.

Beyond the work

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

Since moving to Ottawa, I have enjoyed discovering the city’s museums, cultural attractions, architecture and scenic views. I also enjoy exploring new coffee shops and pâtisseries.