Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending the 11th Annual Big Data & Analytics Summit Canada, held on June 4–5 at the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel. As someone deeply involved in data, AI, and infrastructure projects, this event was both energizing and enlightening.
🚀 A Pulse Check on the Future of Data
This year's summit brought together over 1,000 professionals across finance, healthcare, transit, telecom, and technology. The key focus? How organizations can safely scale GenAI, govern data effectively, and democratize analytics across the enterprise.
💡 Key Takeaways
1. **Data Unification is the New Integration**
Denodo's keynote kicked off with a powerful insight: to enable AI across an enterprise, we need unified—not just integrated—data systems. The emphasis was on making data accessible without replicating it, using semantic layers and logical architectures.
2. **Agentic AI is Reshaping the C-Suite**
An executive panel featuring leaders from BMO, Manulife, and ALDO explored how new forms of AI—especially "agentic" systems that can make decisions—are forcing a rethink of governance, data pipelines, and talent structures.
3. **Governance Can't Be an Afterthought**
A standout session from BDC tackled the need to "govern forward." AI deployments need governance embedded at the planning stage, not bolted on after launch. This message resonated with many of us in the transit and infrastructure sectors, where safety and compliance are critical.
🛠️ Practical Learning
The most valuable part of the summit was hearing how organizations are actually applying data and AI—warts and all. Case studies from Netflix, Deloitte, and MTY Group made it clear: while GenAI is flashy, the real ROI still comes from getting your data house in order.
I also appreciated sessions on:
- Data literacy and empowering non-technical teams
- Cost-effective AI scaling, especially for mid-sized firms
- Ethical AI, which is becoming a differentiator, not just a checkbox
🤝 Community and Connections
Aside from the sessions, it was amazing to network with data leaders from across Canada. From the roundtables to the coffee chats, everyone was generous in sharing what's working—and what isn't—in their analytics journey.
🔄 How I'm Applying This
As I work on data-driven simulation tools and analytics for infrastructure and transit, I'm bringing back a few key strategies:
- Embed data governance earlier in development pipelines
- Use AI to complement—not replace—human insight in operational decisions
- Push for self-service analytics models to scale internal adoption
If you're working in data, AI, or digital transformation, I highly recommend adding this summit to your calendar next year.
Want to collaborate or discuss key takeaways? Feel free to reach out—I'd love to connect!
Let's Connect!
Enjoyed this post? I'd love to hear your thoughts and discuss these topics further.