AI powered advertising platform StackAdapt adds Shopify President Harley Finkelstein as Strategic Advisor
StackAdapt, a Canadian AI advertising and orchestration platform, reports that Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, has joined the company as a Strategic Advisor.
Finkelstein joined Shopify in 2010 and today serves as President. He has also founded a number of startups and e-commerce businesses and holds advisory and board positions across the technology, retail and nonprofit sectors.
“Harley understands what it takes to build an enduring technology company while staying relentlessly focused on the people using the product,” says Vitaly Pecherskiy, Co-Founder and CEO of StackAdapt. “We’ve always shared the belief that the best companies are built by thinking long-term, moving quickly and challenging the assumptions of established categories. As StackAdapt continues to grow globally and redefine what marketers should expect from their technology, having Harley’s perspective around the table will be incredibly valuable.”
“I’ve spent much of my career around entrepreneurs who are ambitious enough to rethink how an entire category works, and that’s what I see in Vitaly and the StackAdapt team,” says Finkelstein. “They’ve built an incredible company from Canada with global ambitions, and they’re approaching AI and advertising with the same entrepreneurial mindset that got them here. I’m excited to work with Vitaly and the team as they think about what comes next.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
