The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) closed out the final day of the 2012 Loss Prevention Auditi and Safety Conference (LPAS) yesterady with a dynamite line up of Asset Protection executives including Claude Verville, vice president of loss prevention and safety & hazmat from Lowe's; Stan Welch vice president of loss prevention for jcpenney; and Ken Amos divisional vice president, loss prevention from Walgreens, on an AP executive panel moderated by Jim Lee, executive editor of LP Magazine.
In this moderated panel these seasoned retail asset protection executives offered varying points of view on the state of retail AP, including the most pressing issues affecting loss prevention, challenges facing the industry and opportunities to enhance performance and the profession.
“We were blown away by this morning’s panel and the feedback from attendees has been wonderful,” said Lisa LaBruno, vice president of loss prevention and legal affairs. “So many great topics were covered and critical concerns addressed. The panel was outstanding, we heard from some of the best minds in the industry and Jim Lee did a superb job as moderator.”
Later Walter Palmer, chief executive officer & president of PCG Solutions, shared tactics with attendees on doing more with less. Instead of trying to do the impossible, Palmer emphasized doing the right things. Starting with understanding where time is being spent now, identifying the most important things a team should be doing, and then negotiating for resources and outcomes. Palmer also shared other organization experiences giving attendees a blueprint to send back to their company.
Finally, seasoned investigator David Zulawski, chairman CFI and senior partner & speaker at Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, delivered a one-of-a-kind training session to help investigators become more proficient in developing the employee’s initial verbal admission, obtaining a solid written voluntary statement and preparing a rigorous investigative report.
And finishing the day up on a great note RILA attendees hit the green, in the RILA Charity Golf Tournament at Bridlewood Golf Club. Sponsored by Axis Communications raising close to ten thousand dollars, with all proceeds going to Communities in Schools Dallas Region, Inc. (CISDR), a non-profit founded in 1985 to address the growing number of high school dropouts in Dallas and surrounding areas. CISDR helps at-risk kids succeed academically and stay in school so that they fulfill their dreams.
“We had a great week,” said LaBruno. “We are delighted with the content coming out of the sessions, attendees were engaged and the presenters couldn’t have been better, all of this provided companies with valuable information and ideas, tools and contacts that they didn’t have when they arrived,” LaBruno concluded.
RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad
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