Cary Strickland

Cary Strickland is the Director, Strategy and Innovation of the RTI Innovation Advisors team where he leads research and project delivery activities. He specializes in technology scouting, landscaping and evaluation, market opportunity analysis, and technology-inspired ideation. He ensures corporate, foundation, and government clients, understand new areas of technology. Leveraging his technical expertise, business acumen, and creativity, Mr. Strickland provides clients with rigorous analyses of new technologies and markets. He also brings human-centered design and facilitation (both in-person and virtual) skills to help clients act on the results of the Innovation Advisors’ research.

With an academic background in both chemical engineering and paper science, Mr. Strickland leads projects focused on sustainability and packaging within the consumer packaged goods and food industries. This work positions clients to develop new products, weigh investment decisions, and identify new strategic partnerships. He also supports RTI's work around the world, leading market assessments for novel on-site sanitation solutions that have potential to improve sanitation access, and providing research to support manufacturers in the Philippines in transitioning into manufacturing personal protective equipment to meet the needs of the COVID-19 crisis.

Mr. Strickland joined RTI in 2011. Previously, he was a Senior Research Technician at the MeadWestvaco Center for Packaging Innovation. He conducted R&D on new papermaking processes and package designs, and supported mill trials for the company’s paper production facilities.

Mr. Strickland was also an associate editor of RTI Press, a global publisher of peer-reviewed, open-access publications, and holds a certification in Human Centered Design from the LUMA Institute.