The LPM “Magpie” Awards offer a means to celebrate industry accomplishments on an ongoing basis, recognizing the loss prevention professionals, teams, solution providers, law enforcement partners, and others that demonstrate a stellar contribution to the profession. Nominate your peers at Excellence[at]LPportal.com.
Excellence in Investigations
Nathan Bandaries, Corporate Manager of Organized Retail Crime, Albertsons Companies
“To excel as an investigator dealing with organized retail crime, it’s important to build relationships, not just partnerships,” said Bandaries. “Of course, you must have the skills and passion for building cases. You have to follow the right path and focus on the details. But you must also build credibility. Show law enforcement, prosecutors, and retail partners you know how to do these cases. Show they can trust you, and you are standing with them. We are sharing responsibility as well as information. If you have integrity and build relationships, the results will come.”
Bandaries started his loss prevention career as a store-level associate, holding positions with increasing responsibility with Kmart, The Home Depot, and Family Dollar before joining Albertsons Companies in 2015, where he was recently promoted to corporate manager of organized retail crime. Along the way, he’s learned that one of the most important traits a leader must hold is the strength that comes with humility.
“Whether managing people, processes, or investigations, you can’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know the answer,” he explained. “Have the fortitude to find the right person to give you the answers. Pick up the phone. Talk to people. Find subject-matter experts that know the answers you don’t know. Surround yourself with the right people and take their counsel. Manage it the right way.”
He added, “It’s important to maximize your abilities, but it’s just as important to recognize your limitations. Work together. Give credit where credit is due. Understand that the man in the back of the room saying nothing may be the one in the room who knows the most. Whether you’re building a thousand-dollar case or a million-dollar case, when you close the case file just be sure that you did it right.”
