On the final morning of the National Retail Federation (NRF) PROTECT 2017 Conference in Washington, DC, attendees geared up for another busy day of programming and networking. Cathy Lanier, senior VP of security for the NFL and former chief of police for the nation’s capital, energized the group with her keynote session after breakfast.
Lanier led DC’s Metropolitan Police Department for nearly a decade and was the first woman to hold the position. In her presentation, she revealed her concerns about the speed of change and the difficulties faced by security and law enforcement professionals when it comes to staying agile and keeping up with the pace of crime. Lanier went on to share how she has seen criminal threats evolve over the past decades and how law enforcement has had to learn to adapt through preparation and the implementation of new technologies.
At the conclusion of the keynote, Melissa Mitchell, CFI, director of asset protection and retail supply chain management for LifeWay Christian Stores, returned to the stage to present the Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Award to Lieutenant Tarik Sheppard of the New York Police Department. Sheppard’s goal of creating a New York Metro Organized Retail Crime Alliance was realized in 2014. The alliance continues to be a robust resource for area law enforcement and retail partners as it works to reduce property crimes and keep shoppers safe.
The Expo Hall reopened for conference-goers on Wednesday morning and once more featured the Food Retail Asset Protection Pavilion, the NRF Clubhouse, and the NRF Fusion Center. Lunch was again held on the show floor to facilitate interactions among attendees. Educational options, including an Expo Stage Session and an Exhibitor Insights session, were on offer to round out the diverse activities in the hall.
Breakout sessions resumed after lunchtime with a wide range of topics, including business ethics in the digital age, travel risk mitigation, tracking multi-store security, and card-not-present fraud.
In a sensational concluding keynote session, Peyton Manning, a two-time Super-Bowl-winning quarterback and five-time NFL MVP, addressed a crowded room on leadership lessons earned from his years in the professional sports world. He talked about the importance of preparation, the art of inquiry, and the necessity for leaders to know how to bounce back from a defeat. Above all, he said, “leaders must have the audacity to know that there is something more out there to reach for.”
After Manning spoke, NRF PROTECT attendees headed home on Wednesday afternoon feeling a bit wiser and perhaps even a little more inspired to succeed as leaders in their own organizations.