Key Contacts

Profile as at July 2018

Name:  Dan Ward

Age: 31

Family? No kids yet

Current job/Role?
APEC Mining Airobotics

What’s your personal motto?
Never accept the status quo

What's the most romantic thing you've done?
Surprise trip overseas

Career History

Career to date?
Started in UG coal Queensland, then moved to WA where I held Senior and Chief Mine Surveyor roles at various sites. From there became the Mining and UAV Manager for Land Surveyors and more recently APEC Mining Airobotics

Career Influences?
Pretty much everyone I have worked with over the years has influenced in some way or another, biggest influence would have to be the book “the mindful leader” which I try to practise its principles ever day

Career highlight (biggest achievement)?
Developing a graduate program at Land Surveyors hiring and mentoring three young graduates

Career shocker?
In my first year in UG coal, made a mistake on my calcs when turning angles, didn’t check my work on the surface and ended up taking about 10m on the wrong bearing.

Career goals?
Revolutionise the mining industry

 

Survey Work / People

What is the best piece of survey equipment/technology/software that you have used & why?
Airobotics drone solution, will revolutionise the industry watch this space

What is the oldest piece of survey equipment that you have used?
Steel band and compass

Who's the strangest/funniest/unorthodox survey character that you've met so far (and why) ?
Chris Hayes, my first Senior wouldn’t take any crap from anyone learnt a lot about how to get people out of the way

What's the most contentious survey issue in your workplace at the moment?
The professionalism and relevance of surveyors

If you were the boss for a day - what would you change?
Would offer a lot more shares and options to all staff, that way everyone has incentive about the companies performance

APART from $$, what factor attracts you to work in the mining industry as opposed to other survey disciplines?
Comradery and the ability to invest in the latest technology

Would you recommend a career in surveying to a grade 12 school kid? If not, what career would you recommend?
Potentially, a number of things need to change to future proof the Mine Surveying profession

Sports/Hobbies

How do you relax?
I don’t really, working on the farm perhaps

Where would be your ideal retirement location?
Too far away to think about that