Dan Mackie was born in Dryden, Ontario, in 1952, and moved to Calgary to go to university in 1969. He graduated from the University of Calgary with an Honours B.Sc. in Computing Science in 1973, and completed the course requirements there for an M.Sc. in Computing in 1974.  Dan was involved in database development and economic-analysis software for three years with Amoco in Calgary starting in 1974, and then moved to work for smaller computer businesses.

Since 1977, Dan has been involved in design, development, sales, support, and field service of embedded-systems software and hardware for real-time applications and automation projects out of Calgary. The spectrum of work has covered building automation, water distribution, electricity distribution, oilfield satellite automation, production accounting, gas measurement, pipeline liquid measurement, pumpjack automation and optimization, and gas production optimization. Dan operates Daniel Computing Systems Inc. of Calgary, and its division called DrSCADA Automation, of which he is the principal shareholder. Dan has travelled for work to Argentina, Australia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Yemen.