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Five-minute interview: Shawn Toldo, dbt Labs
Shawn Toldo, vice-president of the worldwide partner organisation at dbt Labs, tells us about his passion for technology and how curiosity and focus are key to success
Tell us a bit about your role at dbt Labs
I lead the global partner ecosystem for dbt Labs, including partner strategy, programmes, strategic alliances and regional partner sales. What I love most about this role is the team around me. I get to work alongside world-class product, sales and operations leaders who genuinely believe it’s “our” partner ecosystem. That shared ownership mindset makes all the difference.
Why are you the right person for this job?
I’m not sure “right person” is the framing I’d use. I’d say I’m a deeply passionate one. I’ve spent more than two decades obsessing over how technology companies build partnerships that actually move the needle for customers. That passion has taken me from Microsoft to VMware to OneTrust, and now to dbt Labs, and the through-line has always been the same: strong partnerships don’t just grow revenue – they help organisations solve real problems faster and at greater scale.
What keeps me energised is seeing partners go from onboarding to delivering transformational outcomes for customers. When a consulting partner helps a global enterprise finally trust their data pipelines, or when a technology partner embeds dbt natively into their platform, that’s not just a commercial win – it’s a genuine leap forward in what that customer can accomplish with AI [artificial intelligence] and data. Getting the ecosystem architecture right so those moments happen consistently is what drives me.
I’m also a learner by nature. This industry moves fast, and I think the leaders who stay curious and stay humble tend to build the strongest teams and programmes. I try to bring that mindset every day.
Who helped you get to where you are today?
Beyond my parents, family and friends, there are honestly too many people to name. I’m extremely appreciative to have worked with empowering C-level leaders throughout my career at dbt Labs, OneTrust, VMware and Microsoft. The best ones pushed me to think bigger about what’s possible and trusted me to execute on it. That combination of challenge and trust is something I try to bring to my own team.
What advice would you give to someone starting out today in tech?
Be a learner, not a knower. The technology industry is moving at the most rapid rate ever – cloud, data and AI platforms are evolving faster than any individual can fully track. Your partner strategy and priorities will not look the same in six months. Through learning, you can build the agility to not just keep up, but get ahead. The people who thrive long-term in this industry are the ones who stay genuinely curious – not just about technology, but about customers, partners and the problems worth solving.
What do the next five years hold for the channel?
Tremendous opportunity. But it will require real focus. Partners who help customers evolve their businesses through cloud, data and AI in ways that drive actual outcomes are going to win. What excites me most right now is where the data infrastructure conversation is heading. With the pending merger of Fivetran and dbt Labs, I believe our open data infrastructure strategy will give the partner ecosystem a powerful opportunity to deliver trusted AI and data outcomes in a cost-efficient, scalable way. That’s a massive unlock both for consulting and technology partners.
This industry moves fast, and I think the leaders who stay curious and stay humble tend to build the strongest teams and programmes. I try to bring that mindset every day
Shawn Toldo, dbt Labs
More broadly, interoperability of data and shared semantics will become increasingly critical. In 2026, these won’t be “nice to haves”. They’ll be requirements for AI that actually support business outcomes. The partners who anchor their strategies in open standards and customer outcomes will set themselves up to lead.
If you were facing awesome peril and impossible odds, which real or fictional person would you most want on your side and why?
My brother, Rick Toldo. He’s faced real adversity at multiple points in his life and overcome every challenge. What I admire most – beyond just his resilience – is the perspective he carries through it. He brings a broader perspective and a genuine growth mindset to both personal and professional challenges. It inspires me to be a better person. In a moment of impossible odds, I’d want someone next to me who has already proven they can find a way through.
