Celebrating Innovation and Excellence: Meet the Snowflake 2026 Data Drivers Award Winners

Snowflake announced the global winners of the eighth annual Data Drivers Awards, the premier data awards that honor Snowflake customers leading their organizations and transforming their industries with the AI Data Cloud.

This year's winners of the Data Drivers Awards include data leaders from across the globe, including Caterpillar, Volvo, Samsung and more. They represent the very best of the best of the individuals and organizations using the Snowflake AI Data Cloud to innovate, revolutionize and grow.

“As we enter a new era of intelligence, the 2026 Data Drivers represent the pinnacle of what’s possible when data and AI are woven into the fabric of the enterprise,” says Denise Persson, Chief Marketing Officer at Snowflake. “This year’s winners are not just experimenting with AI; they are delivering real business outcomes by scaling sophisticated applications and unlocking the true value of their data. Their visionary leadership is redefining industry benchmarks and proving that a robust, secure data foundation is the ultimate competitive advantage in the AI-powered economy.”

There are seven award categories, with one honoree per region. Let's meet this year's winners!

Data Driver of the Year

Our highest honor, the Data Driver of the Year award celebrates large organizations that exemplify what it means to be data-centric. These pioneering companies showcase the impact of a well-defined data strategy in accelerating the delivery of key business capabilities, driving transformative change across the enterprise and enhancing customer experiences.

This year's winners are:

• Americas: Kimberly-Clark
• Europe, Middle East and Africa: Rathbones
• Asia Pacific and Japan: Canva

AI Innovator

This award recognizes organizations that have demonstrated swift and agile adaptation to the fast-moving innovations in AI, implementing a production use case that is driving clear business impact.

The 2026 recipients of the AI Innovator award are:

• Americas: Caterpillar
• Europe, Middle East and Africa: Fin
• Asia Pacific and Japan: Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management Co., Ltd

Innovation in Data Analytics

Awards in this category honor organizations that maximize the value of their data assets, break down data silos and derive clear business insights to power their success.

The organizations taking home the Innovation in Data Analytics award this year are:

• Americas: Virginia Dept. of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services
• Europe, Middle East and Africa: Volvo
• Asia Pacific and Japan: Denso Corporation

Data Collaboration

The Data Collaboration award recognizes an organization that leverages data and app sharing to generate business outcomes more quickly and securely by using data that may have been previously inaccessible and collaborating effectively across their business, its ecosystem and the world at large.

The winners of the Data Collaboration award are:

• Americas: Facteus
• Europe, Middle East and Africa: BioCatch
• Asia Pacific and Japan: Land Transport Authority of Singapore

Data for Good

Organizations that use data and AI meaningfully to solve humanitarian issues or drive social impact, such as improving health outcomes, protecting human rights, promoting sustainability, improving education or reducing environmental impact, receive the Data for Good award.

The following organizations are having their efforts recognized with the Data for Good award:

• Americas: World Central Kitchen
• Europe, Middle East and Africa: GSK
• Asia Pacific and Japan: Mandai Wildlife Group

Data Executive of the Year

This award recognizes a senior leader pioneering a clearly defined AI strategy within their organization, demonstrating both leadership and agility in adapting to the rapid pace of ever-changing innovations in data and AI.

These individuals have earned the 2026 Data Executive of the Year award:

• Americas: Wendy Batchelder, Senior Vice President and Chief Data Officer, Centene Corporation
• Europe, Middle East and Africa: Soosai Fernandes, Head of Technology for Credit Risk & IRB Model Development programme, Nordea Bank
• Asia Pacific and Japan: Jung Suh, Head of Digital Commerce Team and Corporate Executive Vice President, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Data Hero of the Year

The Data Hero of the Year award highlights an individual within an organization who has acted as a technology trailblazer, pioneering the use of data and AI as a strategic resource.

The winners of this year's Data Hero of the Year award are:

• Americas: Tim Sceurman, Director of Cloud Data Operations, Aramark
• Europe, Middle East and Africa: Timo Hueftle, AI Platform Owner, Siemens Smart Infrastructure
• Asia Pacific and Japan: Piyush Gupta, Vice President — Enterprise Data and AI Platform, Temasek

We congratulate all of the 2026 award winners on their well-deserved recognitions and accolades!

Learn more about Snowflake's annual Data Drivers Awards program here. Nominations for next year's awards open in February 2027, and we look forward to hearing about the innovative ways your company is using the AI Data Cloud to drive your business — and your industry — forward.