ABOUT me
Data architect, author, and speaker
I’m Maja Ferle, data architect, author, and conference speaker with over 30 years of experience working with data. My journey in technology has taken me through many different areas, from traditional databases, data warehousing, and business intelligence to modern cloud data platforms, data engineering, and artificial intelligence.
I’ve seen technologies come and go, witnessed major shifts in how we work with data, and learned that there’s always something new around the corner. What I enjoy most about working in technology is that there’s never a shortage of interesting problems to solve or new things to learn.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked on designing and implementing data solutions, helping organizations make better use of their data. I love the technical challenges: understanding a problem, exploring different approaches, and finding a solution that is simple, practical, and efficient. Along the way, I discovered it’s rewarding to share and explain the solutions to others by helping colleagues, writing technical articles, or demonstrating a new technology at a conference. That’s why I enjoy creating practical examples, experimenting with new features, and sharing the results with the wider data community.
Snowflake Community
Discovering Snowflake opened an exciting new chapter in my professional journey. I was fascinated by the possibilities of cloud data platforms and started exploring Snowflake’s capabilities, experimenting with different approaches, and writing about what I learned.
In 2022, I became a Snowflake Data Superhero, joining an international community of people who share a passion for Snowflake and helping others succeed with the platform. One of the things I appreciate most about this community is the willingness to share knowledge and experiences. Through community activities, conferences, and meetups, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with inspiring people from around the world, exchange ideas, and form friendships that extend well beyond technology.
Writing Books
I’ve always enjoyed writing technical articles and tutorials, but writing an entire book was a different kind of adventure. My first book, SnowPro™ Core Certification Companion Hands-on Preparation and Practice, was published by Apress in 2023. I wanted to create something that would help readers not only prepare for the Snowflake certification exam but also genuinely understand the concepts through practical examples and exercises.
In 2025, my second book, Snowflake Data Engineering, was published by Manning. This book gave me the opportunity to explore data engineering on Snowflake in greater depth, guiding readers through building data pipelines and gradually introducing more advanced techniques. Writing a book requires patience, persistence, and countless hours of research, experimentation, and rewriting. It can be challenging, but seeing the finished book and knowing that it might help someone on their learning journey makes it incredibly rewarding.
Speaking
Another part of my professional life is that I’ve had the pleasure of presenting at international conferences and community events, including Snowflake Summit, Snowflake BUILD, Data Cloud World Tour, BusinessObjects User Conference, and more. My favorite sessions are those where I can demonstrate something working, explain the reasoning behind it, and show how the audience can apply the same approach to their own projects.
But speaking isn’t just about standing on a stage. It’s also about the conversations afterward, and the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others.
Qualifications
I hold an M.Sc. degree in Computer Science and Business Intelligence and have earned various professional certifications throughout my career, covering data engineering, analytics, data architecture, project management, and agile methodologies. But I don’t see learning as something that ends with a degree or certification.
Some of my most valuable lessons have come from working on challenging projects, experimenting with unfamiliar technologies, making mistakes, and discussing ideas with other professionals. The world of data is evolving faster than ever, especially with the advances in machine learning and AI, and I find that incredibly exciting.
