Schedule & Agenda
Review the full conference agenda, including workshops, general sessions, breakout discussions, and networking events.
Industry Leaders
Meet the Speakers
Explore the leaders driving innovation, collaboration, and real-world solutions across retail asset protection.
Alberto Vanegas
Manager, Investigations & Intelligence
Wednesday April 22, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
| Asset Protection of the Future: Building a Virtual Command Center for Real Time Crime Management
Allison Perdue
Manager, Financial Analysis
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| From Silos to Synergy: It’s Not (Just) LP Technology, It’s an Enterprise Solution
Amy Barnes
Founder & Chief Heart Officer
Wednesday April 22, 2026
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
| Post-Conference Workshop: Developing Your Personal Leadership Commitments and Why It Matters sponsored by RILA's Women in Asset Protection Network
Brad Langer
Senior Manager, Safety Compliance
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| The Compliance Crossroads: Rethinking OSHA Readiness in a Fragmented Regulatory Era
Brandon Cummings
Sr Director - Asset Protection
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Advancing Asset Protection: Training and Structuring Teams for Modern Technology
Brent Boekestein
Vice President, Enterprise Accounts
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| The Strategic Security Director: How GenAI Transforms Your Cost Center into a Revenue-Generating Goldmine
Brett Ward
Senior Vice President
Wednesday April 22, 2026
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
| Post-Conference Workshop: Beyond the Confession -- Using Evidence-Based Interviewing to Build a Credible Case
Brian Friedman
Divisional VP, Asset Management & Risk Protection
Brian Friedman is a seasoned retail security executive and the Divisional Vice President of Asset Protection & Risk Management at REI Co-op. With a career spanning frontline operations to enterprise risk strategy, Brian brings a pragmatic and forward-thinking lens to loss prevention, blending traditional methods with emerging technologies. He’s passionate about bridging the gap between innovation and execution—especially when it comes to leveraging technology and data to keep retail environments safe, welcoming, and resilient.
Tuesday April 21, 2026
9:10 AM - 9:45 AM
| The New Network Effect in Retail Crime: Community + Practical AI
Brian Wedoff
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Beyond the Numbers: Building a Culture of Care in Safety
Brian Wilson
Deputy Chief, Operations
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Stopping the 10%: A Smarter Approach to Retail Crime
Chance Lee
Investigations Counsel
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Inside the Prosecutor’s Playbook: Getting ORC Cases Adopted
Corey Merritt
Senior Manager, Enterprise Security
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Risk Ranking Stores: The Data Behind Smarter Protection
Cynthia Grizzle
Vice President, Asset Protection
Tuesday April 21, 2026
3:15 PM - 3:50 PM
| Safer Stores, Stronger Teams: The Human Side of Protection
Dan Petrousek
Senior Vice President, Asset Protection
Appointed as Senior Vice President of Loss Prevention at Ulta Beauty in January 2025, Dan brings more than 23 years of dedicated service and leadership within the organization. His career reflects a steady ascent through key roles in both loss prevention and human resources, positioning him as a versatile and forward-thinking executive.
Prior to his current role, Dan served as Vice President of People Success, where he led talent and organizational development strategies for Ulta Beauty’s national Supply Chain Network, encompassing seven distribution centers across the United States. He began his journey with the company as a Regional Loss Prevention Manager and progressed through critical leadership positions, including Manager of Loss Prevention Security Systems and Technology, Senior Human Resources Manager, and Director of Human Resources for both retail stores and distribution operations.
Dan is widely recognized for his innovative mindset, cross-functional leadership, and unwavering commitment to continuous improvement. His ability to navigate and lead through change has driven impactful transformation across a range of business functions.
In 2026, Dan led the evolution of Ulta Beauty’s Loss Prevention function into Asset Protection, strengthening enterprise partnership and positioning the team to support continued growth and international expansion.
As SVP of Asset Protection, Dan is focused on delivering comprehensive enterprise security risk management through the strategic integration of technology, process innovation, risk intelligence, and operational optimization to drive profitability. His leadership philosophy centers on people empowerment, team performance, and stakeholder engagement – ensuring Ulta Beauty’s asset protection efforts are as dynamic and future-ready as the company itself.
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Protecting Profit Upstream: Game-Changing Strategy for Early Loss Prevention
David Lund
Staff Instructor, Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates
Wednesday April 22, 2026
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
| Post-Conference Workshop: Beyond the Confession -- Using Evidence-Based Interviewing to Build a Credible Case
David W. Sunday, Jr.
Attorney General
In 2013, Attorney General Sunday was appointed by the United States Department of Justice as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where he assisted in the prosecution of gang, illegal gun, and drug cases in Federal Court. It was during this time period that he led the prosecution of Operation Sunrise, which was a large scale multi-jurisdictional arrest and prosecution of over 100 members and/or affiliates of the “Latin Kings,” a violent criminal gang operating in York County.
As an elected District Attorney, he led York County’s fight against the opioid epidemic, fought to protect seniors through his role on the Elder Abuse Task Force, helped to forge partnerships with healthcare systems and the courts to deal with the increasing challenges surrounding mental health, and personally tried approximately 50 felony jury trials to verdict including the successful prosecution of more than 10 of the most high profile York County murder trials in recent memory.
In addition to homicides, Attorney General Sunday has successfully prosecuted Murder Conspiracies, the Attempted Murder of a Police Officer, multiple Murders for Hire, Felony Narcotics Deliveries, Aggravated Assaults, Burglaries, Armed Robberies, Bank Robberies, Insurance Fraud Cases, Thefts and Elder Fraud Scams to name a few.
Beyond trial work, Attorney General Sunday previously served as President of the York County Bar Association, Chair of the York Opioid Collaborative, Chair of the Education and Training Committee of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA), was appointed to the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing by Speaker of the House Mike Turzai in 2020, and was selected to serve on behalf of the PDAA on the Pennsylvania Commission for Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) statewide Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee.
Monday April 20, 2026
9:15 AM - 9:45 AM
| Inside the Gift Card Fraud Fight
Debbie Ho
Senior Manager, Global Investigations
Wednesday April 22, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
| Anatomy of Strategic Cargo Theft: A Real-World Case Study
Denny DeMarcy
Senior Director, Loss Prevention
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Advancing Asset Protection: Training and Structuring Teams for Modern Technology
Ed Tonkon
President, Zebra Retail Solutions
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Decoding Shrink: What Inventory and RFID Data Reveals
Emily Caraher
Student
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Decoding Shrink: What Inventory and RFID Data Reveals
Eric Conn
OSHA Chair
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| The Compliance Crossroads: Rethinking OSHA Readiness in a Fragmented Regulatory Era
Franco Salinas
Student
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Decoding Shrink: What Inventory and RFID Data Reveals
Gregg Smith
Vice President, Asset Protection
Gregg Smith is a veteran Asset Protection and Retail Operations leader with over 30 years of experience driving profit protection strategies for top retail brands. As Vice President of Asset Protection at Five Below, he oversees safety and shrink initiatives across 2,000+ stores nationwide.
Gregg’s career includes senior roles at The Children’s Place, Donna Karan/DKNY, Bloomingdale’s, and The Home Depot. He holds a bachelor’s in Criminology Pre-Law from Indiana University of Pennsylvania recently earned his MBA from LSU.
He is LPC and CFI-certified and actively contributes to the industry as a member of RILA’s Asset Protection Leaders Council, the Loss Prevention Foundation, and the Loss Prevention Research Council.
Monday April 20, 2026
3:15 PM - 3:45 PM
| Philadelphia: A Proving Ground for Retail Crime Reform
Ian White
Captain
Wednesday April 22, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
| Asset Protection of the Future: Building a Virtual Command Center for Real Time Crime Management
Jared Kosina
Advisor, NRTCCA
Wednesday April 22, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
| Asset Protection of the Future: Building a Virtual Command Center for Real Time Crime Management
Jeff Bristol
Director, Asset Protection & Safety, Compliance & Operations
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Risk Ranking Stores: The Data Behind Smarter Protection
Jennifer Thomason
Head of Stores Protection
Jen Thomason is Vice President of Stores Protection at Gap Inc., where she leads the field/stores AP strategy across Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta globally. She is responsible for safeguarding people, products, and experiences while advancing modern, risk-based protection strategies across a complex, multi-brand footprint.
With more than two decades of experience, Jen brings deep expertise in retail Asset Protection, operational risk, and executive leadership. Prior to Gap Inc., she held senior leadership roles at Nike, including Global Senior Director of Loss Prevention and Risk Operations, and previously served in Asset Protection and risk leadership roles at Dollar General and EZCORP. Her background also includes law enforcement and consulting. Jen is known for building and scaling industry-leading AP capabilities and high-performing
teams in complex environments. A strong advocate for talent development and inclusive leadership, she aligns AP strategy with business priorities, and future-focused innovation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of North Alabama.
Monday April 20, 2026
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM
| The Reality of Risk: What’s True in Retail Now
Jeremy Roberson
Regional Manager, Investigations
Tuesday April 21, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Behavioral Intelligence: Building a Speak-Up Culture That Works
Joel Gurley
Senior Manager, Asset Protection Technology and Infrastructure
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Decoding Shrink: What Inventory and RFID Data Reveals
John Robinson
Director, Asset Protection
Tuesday April 21, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Using EBR to Gain a Seat at the Table
Jon Briegel
Senior Retail Partnerships Manager
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Stopping the 10%: A Smarter Approach to Retail Crime
Justin Voss
Senior Manager, Loss Prevention
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| From Silos to Synergy: It’s Not (Just) LP Technology, It’s an Enterprise Solution
Karen Osorio
Head of Security and Compliance
Tuesday April 21, 2026
3:50 PM - 4:25 PM
| Ground Truth in Action
Keely Hogan
Manager, Fraud Strategy
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| The Evolving Gift Card Fraud Threat Landscape
Khris Hamlin
VP, Asset Protection
Monday April 20, 2026
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM
| The Reality of Risk: What’s True in Retail Now
Kimberly Esack
Assistant District Attorney, Supervisor Economic Crimes Division
Graduated from LaSalle University in 1994 and The Dickinson School of Law in 1997. Worked as an Insurance Defense Civil Attorney at Wilbraham, Lawler and Buba from 1998 to 2000, and then Hecker, Brown, Sherry and Johnson from 2000 to 2001. In 2001, left Civil Defense Law to become a Prosecutor at the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office working in the Major Trials Unit for 2 years. In 2003, moved back to Philadelphia and joined the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office working in the Municipal Court, Pre-Trial, Juvenile, Felony Waivers, Majors, and Economic and Cyber Crime Units, as well as being briefly assigned as acting Director of the IT Department. Currently assigned as the Supervisor of the Economic Crimes Division, which is comprised of the Financial Crimes Unit, the Insurance Fraud Unit, the Elder Justice Unit, the Unemployment Compensation/Welfare Fraud Unit, the Labor Crimes Enforcement Unit, the Organized Retail Theft and Deed Theft Task Force, the Carjacking Enforcement Unit, the Auto Theft Unit and the Cleaner Greener Enforcement Unit. Member of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Fraudulent Conveyance Task Force, Philadelphia Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Group, PA Auto Crimes Investigators Association, Delaware Valley International Association of Special Investigation Units, International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, and the Delaware Valley Financial Security Officers Group. Participant in our local Organized Retail Theft Task force with the Philadelphia Police Department as well as the newly formed collaboration between NDAA/RILA on Organized Retail Theft and a member of that Retail Theft Criminal Advisory Board.
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Inside the Prosecutor’s Playbook: Getting ORC Cases Adopted
Kyle Wondrash
Director, Asset Protection
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| From Silos to Synergy: It’s Not (Just) LP Technology, It’s an Enterprise Solution
Leana Maxwell
Director, Fraud and Abuse Investigations
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| The Evolving Gift Card Fraud Threat Landscape
Lisa LaBruno
Executive Director, RILA Communities Foundation
Monday April 20, 2026
9:15 AM - 9:45 AM
| Inside the Gift Card Fraud Fight
Luis Torres
Director of Business Protection and Safety
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| The Strategic Security Director: How GenAI Transforms Your Cost Center into a Revenue-Generating Goldmine
Mark Stinde
VP of Asset Protection
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Protecting Profit Upstream: Game-Changing Strategy for Early Loss Prevention
Matt McCray
Assistant Attorney General
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Inside the Prosecutor’s Playbook: Getting ORC Cases Adopted
Melanie Millaway
Senior Director, Investigations & Enterprise Security
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Risk Ranking Stores: The Data Behind Smarter Protection
Meredith Plaxco
Asset Protection Leaders Council Chair, RILA; VP Global Asset Protection and Safety
Meredith Plaxco is the Vice President of Global Asset Protection and Safety at PetSmart. She serves as Chair of RILA’s Asset Protection Leaders Council and is on the boards of the Loss Prevention Foundation and One Community Arizona and supports the AP program at the University of South Carolina College of Retailing. With over 24 years at PetSmart, her experience spans various leadership roles, including operations, corporate PR/communications, finance and enterprise asset protection and safety. Her education and experience outside of PetSmart includes a background in finance and communications, veterinary M&A and operations, mass and specialty retail, and she maintains her Loss Prevention Certification (LPC) from the Loss Prevention Foundation.
Mike Suppe
Director, Asset Protection
Tuesday April 21, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Using EBR to Gain a Seat at the Table
Milford H. Beagle, Jr.
Lieutenant General (Retired)
Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General with 35 years of public service. Led modernization, education, and leader development initiatives that transformed organizations and influenced more than 1 million people worldwide. Proven track record in strategic planning, institutional reform, and crisis leadership reflects a career defined by impact and excellence
Tuesday April 21, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:10 AM
| Clarity Under Pressure
Missy Bertrand
Enterprise Director, Safety
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Beyond the Numbers: Building a Culture of Care in Safety
Nicholas Ferrara
Detective Sergeant
Experienced Detective Sergeant with 28+ years with the Gainesville Police Department. A demonstrated history of investigating a variety of felony crimes and more recently, significant financial crimes committed by Organized Groups. Skilled in Criminal Intelligence, Facial Recognition identification, open and closed source intelligence search tools, SWAT, fraud prevention, criminal investigations, counterfeiting, identity theft and credit card fraud. A driven industry leader who strives to improve himself and his team each day. An education foundation built on a Bachelor of Science (BS) focused in Criminology from University of Florida, and numerous continuing education courses throughout a 28+ year career. Many consider me a nationwide expert in the field of Facial Recognition/Matching with several thousand leads generated to date.
Tuesday April 21, 2026
9:10 AM - 9:45 AM
| The New Network Effect in Retail Crime: Community + Practical AI
Niladri Nath
Student
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Decoding Shrink: What Inventory and RFID Data Reveals
Oscar Arango
Vice President of Retail Strategy
Patricia Brienen
Senior Director, Asset Protection Field Operations
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Stopping the 10%: A Smarter Approach to Retail Crime
Pete VanDerlyke
Sr. Director EHS/WC
Monday April 20, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Beyond the Numbers: Building a Culture of Care in Safety
Peyton Gibbs
Student
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Decoding Shrink: What Inventory and RFID Data Reveals
Phil Thomson
CEO & Co-founder
Phil is co-founder and CEO of global Retail Crime Intelligence software company, Auror. Since it was founded in 2012, Phil has been focused on building Auror into a trusted company with a global outlook and helping retailers and law enforcement work together through technology to address the large scale of retail crime impacting our communities. Auror is now used by more than 85,000 retail stores and in 3,500 law enforcement agencies across North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Phil is passionate about modernizing public safety by digitally enabling communities to better collaborate. Alongside his co-founders, he was named New Zealand’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022. Prior to founding Auror, Phil was a commercial privacy and intellectual property lawyer.
Tuesday April 21, 2026
9:10 AM - 9:45 AM
| The New Network Effect in Retail Crime: Community + Practical AI
Raymond Evers
Police Inspector
Monday April 20, 2026
3:15 PM - 3:45 PM
| Philadelphia: A Proving Ground for Retail Crime Reform
Rikki Twyford
Director of Security and Loss Prevention
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Advancing Asset Protection: Training and Structuring Teams for Modern Technology
Rishi Rahude
Student
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Decoding Shrink: What Inventory and RFID Data Reveals
Rory Stallard
Director, Asset Protection - ORC
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Stopping the 10%: A Smarter Approach to Retail Crime
Ryan Mueller
Director, Sales and Marketing
Monday April 20, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Advancing Asset Protection: Training and Structuring Teams for Modern Technology
Shaili Jain
MD, Adjunct Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
Shaili Jain, M.D., is a psychiatrist, PTSD specialist, and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. A Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, her work focuses on the science and lived experience of trauma, and on expanding compassionate, evidence-based care for those affected by it. Drawing on over two decades of clinical work with trauma survivors, Dr. Jain brings a rare blend of scientific insight and deeply human storytelling to her writing and speaking. She is the author of The Unspeakable Mind: Stories of Trauma and Healing from the Frontlines of PTSD Science, a powerful exploration of how trauma shapes the brain, body, and spirit, and how healing becomes possible. Her work illuminates the complexity of trauma while offering hope, understanding, and a path toward recovery.
Tuesday April 21, 2026
3:15 PM - 3:50 PM
| Safer Stores, Stronger Teams: The Human Side of Protection
Sharjeel (Serge) Ahmad
Global Head of Asset Protection, Safety and Security Operations
Sharjeel (Serge) Ahmad, serves as the Head of Global Asset Protection, Safety, and Security Operations at Wayfair, where he leads enterprise strategies focused on protecting people, assets, and brand integrity across retail and corporate environments. He is recognized for elevating asset protection into a strategic business function, building high-performing teams, and driving disciplined risk management through strong cross-functional alignment. Serge is regarded as a forward-thinking industry leader who brings clarity, discipline, and strategic insight to complex, high-growth environments.
Tuesday April 21, 2026
3:50 PM - 4:25 PM
| Ground Truth in Action
Stephanie Coutts
Student
Tuesday April 21, 2026
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
| Decoding Shrink: What Inventory and RFID Data Reveals
Taylor Case
Investigator, Cargo Theft Interdiction Program (CTIP)
Wednesday April 22, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
| Anatomy of Strategic Cargo Theft: A Real-World Case Study
Tony Paixão
Vice President, Investigative Platforms
Tuesday April 21, 2026
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
| Behavioral Intelligence: Building a Speak-Up Culture That Works
Walter Palmer
Senior Advisor
Walter is an industry insider and advocate with over 40 years of experience in asset protection, operations, inventory control, and strategic consulting. He works with top retailers, academics, asset protection practitioners, and industry associations in the US and around the world to advance our profession, examine key trends and issues, and support their key goals and objectives. He is a co-founder of LP Magazine, has been an invited speaker at more than 120 conferences around the globe, and has authored over 60 articles for industry and mainstream media.
He currently serves as Senior Advisor for CAP Index, the leader in crime risk forecasting.
Monday April 20, 2026
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM
| The Reality of Risk: What’s True in Retail Now
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We’re excited to bring together the industry’s leading minds in asset protection, workforce safety, retail operations and emerging technology!
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