Meet the Advisors: Carl Boutet

Carl Boutet is a Montreal-based business strategist and executive advisor with over 30 years of operational, marketing, and retail executive roles. He has navigated various business landscapes throughout his career, empowering leaders to excel in an ever-evolving market. 

As the founder of StudioRx.world, Carl advises executives, B2C and B2B solution providers, and ecosystem partners on adapting their strategies to meet their customers' shifting needs all the while building effective commercial strategies. He holds an MBA from Queen's University and professional certificates from Stanford, Harvard, and MIT. 

Carl is actively involved in the technology startup and innovation ecosystem, both as an advisor and investor, and serves on the boards of several retailers, global brands, and industry associations. 

He is the principal advisor for the McGill University Retail Innovation Lab and board advisor to the Retail Solution Providers Association (RSPA). 

He teaches as a faculty lecturer in McGill's Masters in Retail Innovation program (covering emerging technologies and new business models) and as adjunct digital marketing faculty at the Asian Institute of Technology MBA School of Management. 

Rethink Retail and other industry publications have recognized Carl as one of the world's 10 most influential retail thought leaders and top 100 in business strategy + emerging technologies. 

Carl has keynoted, chaired, and moderated at leading retail conferences worldwide and remains a regular media contributor to global news networks. 

In 2021, Carl published his first book, The Great Acceleration, exploring how the Covid-19 pandemic spurred digital transformation and the strategies businesses need to thrive in its wake. 

In December 2024, he published Blindspot, which explores the many unforeseen impacts of technology on commerce. 

How have you seen the retail industry evolving recently? Are there any hot trends you’re paying attention to?

Focus on how emerging technologies are augmenting more human experiences.

What does retail innovation look like to you?

Increasingly anchored in tangible business cases while accelerating in pace of change.

What role does cloud technology play in retail’s digital transformation?

Democratizing access to scale & speed of adoption.

What advice would you give to aspiring retail executives and thought leaders?

Stay curious.

Why are you and StudioRx.world excited to be part of the Retail Cloud Alliance?

Cloud computing is democratizing access to cutting edge technologies once only the largest corporations could access.