Loss Prevention Research Council Weekly Series Episode 135 - Perspectives from the National Retail Federation
With Dr. Read Hayes, Tony D'Onofrio, Tom Meehan, and Guest David Johnston, NRF VP of Asset Protection and Retail Operations
Questions that David Johnston, Vice President of Asset Protection and Retail Operation from the USA National Retail Federation (NRF) answered in this week's podcast:
- Tell out listener about your background. Your different roles that got you to this important National position.
- What do you see as the initial loss prevention priorities from an NRF point of view with your new role?
- Great to see that loss prevention made it in the top ten predictions for 2023 from NRF. The prediction was that this year could be the year we see legislation at state and federal level to attack crime. Can you elaborate on this?
- We just completed what I thought was a very successful NRF Big Show? From your perspective what were the big takeaways?
- I had the pleasure of co-hosting the NRF Loss Prevention Council and the big topic at our table seemed to be about collaboration and innovation? What takeaways did you take from that dinner and your council meeting that could share with this audience?
- Both the Loss Prevention Research Council and Loss Prevention have been in high growth mode in the last year, highlighting the importance of research and education. What your thoughts on how these industry groups can engage and help the mission of the National Retail Federation?
- Just saw a new US Secret Service study that analyzed mass shootings from 2016-2020. The most common places for this violence were restaurants and retail. Any initial thoughts from a retail industry point of view on this topic?
- What I am hearing from multiple loss prevention executives is that post COVID-19 the function of LP is undergoing substantial changes and I would say it’s being even elevated to the C-suite in multiple companies. Shrink for example came up with multiple retailers in multiple recent quarterly earning calls. What are your thoughts on this?
David Johnston is vice president of asset protection and retail operations for the National Retail Federation. In his role, he leads initiatives and member programs focused on asset protection and store operations, facilitating engagement across the industry and promoting best practices and policy initiatives around crime, violence, loss and issues challenging the profitability of retail store operations.
With over three decades of global loss prevention and corporate security expertise, Johnston’s experience includes senior roles with global retail and restaurant organizations as a practitioner, consultant and solution provider. He spent the last eight years as the senior global security executive leading loss prevention, global security and fraud initiatives for Inspire Brands, an international restaurant company representing 32,000 restaurants across seven brands, with locations across 65 countries. Before joining Inspire Brands, Johnston served hundreds of retailers across various segments as a loss prevention consultant with LP Innovations.
Based in Massachusetts, Johnston has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and will graduate in June 2023 with a master’s degree in security studies focused on industry and economical security.
