LPM held its first Regional Town Hall in Chicago on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at the Axis Experience Center. This was a free opportunity for loss prevention professionals to learn and network with peers in the Midwest.
After a delicious lunch and time to meet other attendees, the stacked agenda began with a presentation from RILA Vice President of Asset Protection Khristopher Hamlin on “How to Get That Job.” He discussed the importance of adaptable skills and qualities, education and certification, resumes, and more. He also touched on the work RILA did to pass the INFORM Act, and how that’s now helping retailers prevent loss.
Next was a panel discussion hosted by LPM Vice President and Editor-in-Chief Stefanie Hoover featuring industry leaders: Whole Foods Director of AP and Safety Ted Fancher III, Walgreens Senior Director of AP Operations Tricia Brienen, and Ulta Beauty Senior Director of LP Operations Brian Wedoff.
Together, they had a candid and insightful conversation about the long and twisted paths that lead many to working in LP, making mistakes and learning from them, the importance of ongoing education, transitioning from managing yourself to managing others, creating your own personal board of directors, red and green flags when hiring, and finding mentors.
“Be a student of the industry, not just your company,” Brienen said. “Use books, webinars, classes, and certifications. Read the news—just continue learning.”
Wayne Hoover, senior partner at Wicklander-Zulawski and chair of the International Association of Interviewers, closed out the educational sessions with a presentation on “Top 10 Things to Stop Doing in Your Next Investigative Interview.”
At the end of the day, attendees were invited to submit their business cards for a CFI, LPC, and LPQ scholarship drawing, and the mixing and mingling continued.
“I attended the Town Hall as a panelist and left as a student from all the great career and interview advice the meeting yielded,” Brian Wedoff said afterwards. “I hope this type of interaction continues to ensure a sharing of diverse thoughts for our next generation of LP leaders.”
This was the second-ever Regional Town Hall hosted by LPM, with the first being in Dallas on April 11 of this year.
“This regional town hall format is our way of reaching out to those in various stages of their LP journey in which they may not have some of the resources or connections they want or need,” said LPM’s Stefanie Hoover. “It’s important to have networking and education opportunities to supplement what your current company provides. Early on in my career, I saw a need for these types of events, especially when I was at the store manager, district, and regional levels. Not everyone can attend an industry conference, and not every company can afford to send field teams for multi-day events. We hope to fill some of that void with these meetings. We look forward to continuing the Regional Town Hall in other parts of the country next year.”