Recognizing & Honoring the NRF LP Council, the NRF’s LP Leaders
& The Chairs of the Council Itself Over 25 Years
In honoring the NRF LP Council at our upcoming ‘Live in NYC at the NRF Big Show Event & Reception’ on Jan 15th & 16th, the D&D Daily will be publishing three series of articles over the next six weeks highlighting the three leadership groups that have helped define and develop the U.S. LP/AP community.
We’ll first recognize the three leaders who actually steered from the helm of the NRF as the Vice Presidents of Loss Prevention, then the last 25 years of chairpeople who led the group of volunteers sitting on the council, and finally the current council members themselves and what their thoughts are about the state of our industry and where it’s headed.
For over 25 years these executives have been the voice of retail LP/AP and helped develop thousands of executives who dedicated themselves to this industry.
Their stories are all unique yet very similar and speak to their passion for the industry and their commitment to building a strong, focused industry effort in the midst of retail’s competitive nature and daily struggles. These executives have defined who we are as an industry and hearing their stories and efforts may help you with guiding it in the future regardless of how different it’s going to be, because one theme you may end up seeing is that while our tools and technology change rapidly, the overall human issues remain virtually the same from generation to generation. Therein lies the lesson.
Three Series of Articles on LP/AP Leadership & Community Over 25 Years
25 Years of National Retail Federation’s Loss Prevention Leadership
The Industry’s Ambassadors – Educating – Guiding & Leading Our Cause in DC
25 Years of LP Council Leadership
Chairing the Council – Volunteering their time to help build an industry
The Current NRF LP Council
Today’s Leaders Teaching Tomorrow’s
NRF LP Council Member Articles
Chad McIntosh - VP of Asset Protection, Bloomingdale's
NRF LP Council Member Chad McIntosh
VP of Asset Protection & Risk Management, Bloomingdale's
Chad McIntosh is the Vice President of Asset Protection and Risk Management for Bloomingdale's. Chad is an accomplished Asset Protection executive with over 35 years of experience as a strategic partner with corporate leadership. Chad previously worked for Stores Asset Protection for Macy's Central which operated 238 stores in 18 states. Chad has retail Asset Protection experience with various retailers that include Neiman Marcus, The Home Depot, Polo Ralph Lauren as well as Macy's Inc. He is a graduate from the University of Maryland with a degree in Business Administration.
1. What value has being on the council afforded you?
Being on the council has always been an aspirational role I’ve always wanted to play in an industry we love and have a passion for. I think it gives me an advantage in shaping and driving the AP program for my organization as it allows me to stay ahead of emerging trends and learn from other experts in Asset Protection.
2. What’s the role? As a council member what do you do – what’s involved?
Being a council member is like any other voluntary organization, you get out of it what you put in to it. Being involved in a committee allows you to make a difference in one of the important aspects of Loss Prevention today.
3. What’s the value the council and the NRF LP effort adds to the LP/AP industry and to the retailers?
I think the value the council bring has been the professional standards and developmental programs we have been able to provide. We are always focused on our future and that of the emerging leaders in the LP/AP industry.
4. Why should an executive get involved?
If you want to help guide our industry this is the place to be. Loss Prevention is not a spectator sport you’ve got to get in the game.
5. How does the council impact the Protect conference?
The council drives the impact conference content from topic development, speaker engagement and presentation review. Once Protect is started our role turns to ambassadors for our industry and the NRF.
6. Is there a specific committee you sit on – what’s it accomplishing and what are the objectives?
I am fortunate to sit on the Women in LP Committee. The committee started as way to attract women to our industry. It has been led by several accomplished women in our industry like Joan Manson, Denise Wynn and Rosamaria Sostilio. Much of what this committee has been able to accomplish has been adopted by the other communities within the NRF. The development calls and mentor program are examples of that.
7. What’s the role of the council from a big picture prospective and how does it make a difference?
In partnership with the NRF we are focused on professional standards and use the committees and Protect to drive those standards.
8. What are some of the issues the council wants to address and help solve?
We have two major opportunities in my mind; working with stated and federal legislators to improve laws to impact ORC and developing programs that make the job of a store detective safer.
9. Where is it going in the future? What does that look like?
I think the future is in developing programs and processes that make LP/AP a relevant part of the retail landscape we can’t be solely focused on crushing crime in today Omni Chanel world. How do we find ways to add value and improve profits.
NRF LP Council Member John Velke
SVP, Risk Management, Total Wine & More
John Velke is a 40+-year veteran of workplace investigations beginning as a store detective at Lord & Taylor and working his way up to a Divisional Vice President there by the age of 29. He served as the Vice President of Loss Prevention at Fred Meyer and later assumed the same role for Parisian, Proffitt’s, and McRae’s stores, then owned by Saks Incorporated. In 2008 he went to Total Wine & More as their Vice President of Loss Prevention & Safety. He served on the Illinois Attorney General’s task force on computer crime, Oregon’s Board of Public Standards and Training, the Citizens Crime Commission, the Food Marketing Institute’s Loss Prevention Council, and the National Retail Federation’s Loss Prevention Council. During his career he has conducted and supervised several thousand private sector investigations. John holds a degree in criminal justice and has frequently served as a guest lecturer at colleges and universities.
1. What value has being on the council afforded you?
Participating on NRF’s Loss Prevention Advisory Council has been one of the most rewarding experiences during my professional career. It has been a pleasure working with a group of individuals who all share a passion for our industry and are committed to professional development. While we face many common problems; attracting and retaining talented individuals; budgetary constraints; ORC, to name a few, we also operate across a wide spectrum of retail formats; have a variety of “other” responsibilities; and come from different backgrounds and experiences. This diversity provides a terrific forum for learning from each other, sharing ideas, and recognizing trends. Another benefit we all get is that we play an important role in the development of the annual conference, now called Protect. This conference is widely regarded as the best conference for Loss Prevention / Asset Protection leaders and influencing the content and presentations helps me justify sending executives to the conference because I know their learning experience will deliver value to each of them individually and to my company.
NRF LP Council Member Jon Shimp
Vice President, Risk Management, Louis Vuitton Americas
Jon joined Louis Vuitton Americas as Director- Loss Prevention in May 2008 and was promoted to VP of Asset Protection in 2013. In this role, he initiated the loss prevention program for the company and created all loss prevention, security and safety functions. Under his leadership, Jon’s team has implemented a shrink reduction and an awareness program to help minimize losses. His department is also responsible for all investigations for fraud/theft and to develop strategic state-of-the-art loss prevention technology and physical security initiatives for all stores, warehouses, workshops and offices.
In 2015 Jon was promoted to Vice President, Risk Management. In this newly expanded role Jon continues to oversee Asset Protection and has added both Internal Control and Inventory Control to his areas of responsibility. Most recently in January of 2016, Treasury was added to his scope as well.
Prior to joining Louis Vuitton, Jon was the Director of Loss Prevention for the luxury brand Chanel with previous positions at Abercrombie and Fitch, Donna Karan International and Polo Ralph Lauren. Jon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware. In 2014 Jon was honored as a winner as part of the “The Top 20 under 40” within the private security industry by Security System News. Jon currently sits on the NRF LP Council and is Co-Chair for the NRFORC/Investigators Network for the US.
1. What value has being on the council afforded you?
Networking, learning from my peers and a great opportunity to mentor younger generation and spend time within my industry at PROTECT.
2. What’s the role? As a council member what do you do – what’s involved?
Key thing is participation on calls and meetings, ensuring connection and activity and getting the generation behind me excited about being in this industry.
3. What’s the value the council and the NRF LP effort adds to the LP/AP industry and to the retailers?
It can’t be measured for me as its too important; not sure I think our industry gets the recognition without it, but at the same time it is as everyone wants to be a part of PROTECT and understand the NRF/AP industry.
4. Why should an executive get involved?
Real question is why not get involved if you can? It’s absurd if you still live in the cloak and dagger world, its critical to share best practices.
5. How does the council impact the Protect conference?
The LP Council drives every single aspect of what attendees see, from the food/hotels, to the content to the speakers; everything you see are months of commitment from the team.
6. Is there a specific committee you sit on – what’s it accomplishing and what are the objectives?
ORC Investigators Network Chair, give tools to the regional leaders and really promote them and our industry cause on how extensive this issue really is.
7. What’s the role of the council from a big picture prospective and how does it make a difference?
Be the eyes and ears of the industry + promote change and attitude.
8. What are some of the issues the council wants to address and help solve?
ORC Activity, Legislation on Credit Cards, cybersecurity.
9. Where is it going in the future? What does that look like?
I see change, technology driven, data driven change.