MOMS Research and Development is lead by Dr JP Barnard who apart from being the MOMS team R&D lead also works at Stellenbosch University, where he supports post-graduate research. JP holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the same university.

JP started with the MOMS team in 2016 and had an immediate impact in restructuring the MOMS offering with an architecture based on sound industry practice and best-in-class components.

Before joining DRA/Minopex, he worked full-time for 8 years as Technical Lead at the Centre of Excellence for Process Monitoring (CPM) at Stellenbosch University on R&D projects commissioned by Anglo Platinum, where he was responsible for the redesign and development of the Anglo Platinum MATLAB OPM, a software framework for operational performance monitoring.

In addition to this project he also led several other projects, including the new development of an extensible advanced analytics framework that integrated MATLAB and PI System for online monitoring of SAG milling, sponsored by the Technology Innovation Agency of SA (TIA).

Prior to joining the CPM, JP worked in the USA from 2001 to 2008 where he gained a wealth of experience in commercial software development of world-leading technologies. Initially, JP worked for Mathworks in Boston as a software developer. Being the makers of MATLAB & Simulink, they are arguably the leaders in computational and simulation software. Later he joined Ansoft (now part of ANSYS) at their Burlington office as Configuration Manager and Build Master of their new circuit simulator.

JP is a dedicated professional with a passion for systems engineering, who brings tremendous practical experience to the MOMS team and always shows great enthusiasm and a willingness to climb in and assist in all areas of MOMS development and deployment. His background allows him to accurately scan the competition and ensure that the MOMS offering is current, competes with the rest of industry, and follows best practices.

JP has settled among the tranquillity of Stellenbosch, steeped in South African history as a pillar of higher education. He enjoys a variety of music, and in his off time, his piano, a good book, a jog in the mountains, and the occasional glass of red wine.