RILA's New Asset Protection Leader

Garth Gasse, CFI, Director - Asset Protection

Educate - Innovate - Advocate

By Gus Downing
Publisher & Editor

With 26 years of retail Asset Protection experience and a BS degree in Criminal Justice from the University of North Carolina, Garth Gasse joined the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) this past January as their new Director of Asset Protection. Having super-store, specialty store, drug store, and department store experience in his background provides Garth with a keen understanding of the various retail sectors and the needs and challenges that the retail industry is facing.

Having worked with a number of the industry's senior thought leaders; Walter Palmer, Bob Serenson, Chris McDonald and Chris Gillen, Garth has acquired a deep breadth of knowledge and experience. Coupled with the fact that he delivered consistently positive shrink results throughout his career proves that he has the intuitive ability to build the relationships that allows him to deliver best in class solutions and best in class results.

With years of successful field experience, Garth understands the components of a successful proactive AP program and is deeply rooted in the fundamental principles of teaching - training - and coaching. Participating in the evolution of the retail industry and the rapid-paced change processes we're all experiencing, Garth realizes the challenges we all face and is dedicated to helping develop and drive the educational programs that the industry needs to successfully face these challenges.

Being a member of the Continuing Education Committee since 2006 for the International Association of Interviewers and having been a member of the LP Foundation's Coursework Committee for 3 years, Garth has shown that he's driven by the belief in the necessity for ongoing education, and that he's well prepared to help lead the effort for RILA members and the Asset Protection industry.

Having worked with a number of solution providers in his prior roles, Garth appreciates the important role solution providers and all service providers play in helping retailers solve their complex issues. And while we may be considered two different groups, in his view we're all on one team and united by one goal. With that in mind Garth is committed to engaging solution providers and ensuring that they have a "Best in Class" venue in which to showcase their products and services, and that they have the ability to make an impact and unite with RILA's member retailers.

Given the speed and immensity of change the retail industry is facing, Garth is passionate about how RILA's focus and programs on emerging technologies can be a game changer. Their commitment to helping facilitate the innovation wave by providing the support structure necessary to bring the latest technology faster and quicker to the AP industry via their AP Horizons Committee is the first of its kind.

Over the last few years RILA has certainly had an impressive group of executives leading their Asset Protection efforts. From Paul Jones, the current Head of Global Asset Protection for eBay, to more recently Lisa LaBruno, whose promotion to Senior Vice President for Retail Operations for RILA opened the way for Garth to join them as their new Director of Retail Operations, Asset Protection. However, this is the first time RILA has had, in effect, two executives committed to representing the AP industry with a level of subject matter expertise that should drive value well beyond expectations.

It's an exciting time for RILA's Asset Protection effort right now as they're positioned, with these two executives and the programs they have, to truly make a positive impact and help this industry navigate the sea of change we're facing. We're certain that they're upcoming conference will be extremely worthwhile and will enable you to take back a wealth of information to use in your company, and to use for your own career. And we'd like to challenge those of you questioning the value to take a fresh look and embrace the educational value and the value of coming together as an industry and making sure you're up to date with emerging technologies, the trends, the programs, and just as important the people.

Lastly, we'd like to wish Garth the best of success and we firmly believe he'll represent this industry well.

Good Luck,
From all us at the Daily