Shannon Katschilo is Snowflake’s country manager in Canada. She sat down with The Peak to talk about how companies are using AI to transform their businesses.
Is there a misconception about your industry that you’d be eager to correct?
That you need to be highly technical to work in data and AI. I love debunking this one because I come from a non-programming background myself. We’re seeing first-hand how AI is becoming accessible to people across all business functions — whether you’re in marketing, operations, or sales. It’s really transforming how people work and succeed in their roles.
How competitive is the current market for cloud data platforms?
It’s such an exciting time in our industry right now. We’re seeing tremendous growth in the cloud data market as companies ramp up their AI and infrastructure investments, and start seeing concrete results. While we're deepening our relationships with cloud infrastructure partners, what really matters is making enterprise AI easy, efficient, and trusted. It's the key to outpacing the competition and a defining factor for us.
What are the use cases of some of these products for companies?
Let me share a practical example. Think of a retail analyst who previously needed to write complex SQL queries to pull sales reports. Now they can simply use plain English, like ‘Show me December sales in Toronto,’ to get instant insights. This same technology powers customer service chatbots that can quickly access accurate data to resolve inquiries. In back office operations, we’re seeing teams in procurement and finance using AI capabilities in Snowflake to automatically analyze contracts and invoices, tasks that used to take hours of manual review. It's about making data accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical background.
What is the focus for Snowflake in Canada over the coming year?
Our priority is helping Canadian organizations move beyond experimenting with AI to actually implementing it across their operations. We’re seeing particularly strong momentum in this area in financial services, healthcare, and retail across the country. We’re also very focused on expanding our footprint and continuing to be one of Snowflake’s fastest-growing markets globally.
What are the challenges that you expect to face?
The biggest challenge is ensuring equitable access to training and addressing the AI skills gap. When I meet with executives across the country about their AI readiness, I always emphasize how crucial it is to have diverse teams involved in AI training and implementation. If we want to develop solutions that truly work for all Canadians, we need to make sure our entire workforce has the right skills and knowledge to work with AI effectively.
Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?
I'm not one for resolutions, but I’m all about continuous self-growth — and this year, I realized I need a hobby. So, I’m diving into pickleball.
Is there a book you’ve read recently that you’d recommend?
Every year around this time, I re-read To Kill a Mockingbird, a favourite I first discovered at 12. Without fail, it teaches me something new each time. I highly recommend making a tradition like this!