Interview with Sarah Torrez, CFI, LPC
Torrez’s loss prevention career spans twenty-seven years, starting as a part-time store detective with CVS drug stores. She held several LP positions within CVS and later joined Smart & Final as a district loss prevention manager. She then went on to The Limited as a regional LP manager. She is now the director of loss prevention for Aero OpCo LLC where she directs all the loss prevention functions of the Aeropostale and Nautica Brands. Aero OpCo LLC operates over 600 stores throughout the US. Torrez is also a legacy member and is on the advisory council for the Loss Prevention Foundation.
Why did you decide to pursue your LPC certification?
When you have been in loss prevention for so many years, sometimes you get complacent and think that you know everything you need to know, but that is not the case. Every bit of education helps regardless of how long you have been doing what you have been doing.
Was the coursework what you expected?
I absolutely did not expect that it would be so extensive. I thought with my experience I could breeze through it; not so.
Talk about the process of going through the coursework and taking the exam.
This is where my organization skills kicked in. I really had to prioritize daily study time to be able to keep up with the material. As far as taking the exam, they made it easy. At first, it is intimidating, knowing how many questions there are. But once you start the questions, if you prepared, you can get through it fairly easily.
Looking at your own personal background and knowledge, what information in the course helped you the most?
The distribution section of the coursework helped me out tremendously. Having had most of my loss prevention experience within the specialty retail field, I did not have a lot of knowledge within the distribution center area.
What was the most eye-opening information that was part of the curriculum?
What was most eye-opening was how vast the loss prevention field is. Having gone through the coursework, it reminded me of how we touch every aspect of our company’s bottom line.
What benefits have you seen from taking the course?
The LPC coursework has opened up my eyes to many aspects of my job. It has allowed me to better understand my partners and communicate with them with better understanding of their specific job roles.
If you could offer one key takeaway to someone currently considering getting certified, what would it be?
As part of the hiring process, seeing the LPC designation on a resume matters. That, along with your experience, will make you stand out over all others.
How would you compare the foundation certifications to other educational courses that you’ve taken?
This is a college-level course with respect to quality and content. It is also important to note that this course was developed by our industry leaders; therefore, it touches on every category that is vital in our loss prevention field.
How has certification changed your expectations of loss prevention as a career, for yourself and for others?
The coursework has challenged me to be better. It has allowed me to gain confidence in what I do on a day-to-day basis. I would have to say that it has made me love what I do more and work hard toward what’s next.
Would you recommend certification to others?
Yes, definitely. I am an advocate of continued education and will always recommend the LPC course since it has the most holistic approach to our field.
Newly Certified
Follow are individuals who recently earned their certifications.
Recent LPC Recipients
Michelle Bannerman, LPC, Shoppers Drug Mart
Danielle Bentley, LPC, DICK’S Sporting Goods
Michelle Bruneau, LPC, Big Y Foods
Davinder Cheema, LPQ LPC, Best Buy Canada
Michael Clay, LPC, CVS Health
Jada Curtis, LPC, TJX
Christopher Dyess, LPC, Claire’s Stores
Michael Giblin, LPC, Loss Prevention Research Council
Victor Gomes, LPC, MetroPCS
Jason Johnstone, LPC, DICK’S Sporting Goods
Stephanie Liadis, LPC, Lowe’s
Yi Lin, LPC, Loss Prevention Research Council
Kevin Marquardson, LPC, Smith’s Food and Drug
Conrad Nelson, LPC, Lowe’s Companies
Ethan Oppenheim, LPQ LPC, Hollywood Casino Columbus
Joel Roberts, LPC, Kum & Go
Richard Rodriguez, LPC, Comcast/NBCUniversal
Patricia Rose, LPC, Shoppers Drug Mart
Donald Ward, II, LPC, DICK’S Sporting Goods
James Warmbrod, III, LPC, DICK’S Sporting Goods
Recent LPQ Recipients
Miguel Castaneda, LPQ, TJX
Michael Crissman, LPQ, The D&D Daily
Austin De Tray, LPQ, James Madison University
Ryan Emmons, LPQ, Nordstrom
Thomas Foster, LPQ, Walmart Stores
Lauren Granville, LPQ, University of Indianapolis
Charles Houghton, LPQ, CKE Restaurants
Angelique ONeal, LPQ, University of Indianapolis
Kamren Powell, LPQ, Mississippi College
Andrew Rich, LPQ, Tiffany & Co.
Joshua Starner, LPQ, The Wireless Experience
Joseph Tabaniag, LPQ, 7-Eleven
Michelle Wen, LPQ, Bloomingdales
