RCC Loss Prevention Conference

Brendan serves as the Director, Corporate Loss Prevention for the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch. Brendan holds a degree from Simon Fraser University in Justice and Public Safety Leadership. Brendan has extensive experience in Loss Prevention in the retail, wholesale, hospitality and air services industries.

Diane J. Brisebois is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and has held that position since 1995. Prior to joining RCC, Diane held the position of President and CEO of the Canadian Office Products Association for 14 years.

Retail Council is the largest retail association in the country representing more than 45,000 retail establishments of all shapes and sizes from coast to coast. RCC`s membership covers all retail segments including general merchandise, grocery and pharmacy and accounts for more than 70% of all retail sales in the country excluding auto and gas sales.

Diane has and also continues to serve on several boards across North America:

• She currently serves as a Director on the Board of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, the Quebec Employers Council, Stewardship Ontario, and the Advisory Boards of the St. Mary’s David Sobey Centre for Retail, the School of Retailing at the University of Alberta and LIMA Canada
• She also served as the Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Society of Association Executives, the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, the Fair Factory Clearinghouse and The Forum of International Retail Association Executives
• Diane also served as a Director on the Board of Covenant House Toronto for eight years and the Board of the School of Retail at Ryerson University for more than 10 years

Diane has spent more than 37 years leading retail associations in Canada.
Ms. Brisebois is a native of Montreal, Quebec and now resides in Toronto, Ontario.

Patrick Brophy is an ecommerce Product Manager at Moneris, dedicated to driving ecommerce capabilities for businesses through product innovation, education and community outreach. As commerce is becoming increasingly digital, Patrick looks to introduce solutions that allow businesses to easily and securely accept payments across environments. Patrick is a Certified Payments Professional through the Electronic Transactions Association with over 13 years of experience in the payments industry managing online, mobile and digital commerce solutions. Prior to joining Moneris, he was product manager at Vantiv, and previously, the National Processing Company.

As the Director of Profit Protection with Rexall Pharmacy Group Andy leads the teams focused on both traditional Loss Prevention and also Internal Audit . Andy is a multi-talented executive with over 25 years of retail loss prevention experience ranging from Big Box, Grocery, Apparel, Pharmacy and Specialty retailers. He has successfully investigated and aided in the prosecution of several multi-million dollar ORC/Complex Fraud cases. Andy has had successes in both Asset Protection and Operational functions and while with Home Depot of Canada was chosen to serve in the capacity of process improvement advisor as the only Ex Pat on the ground for Home Depot in China. He has served the industry for more than two decades and his skill set encompasses Human Resources, Operations, Safety, Enterprise Risk Management, Privacy, Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery and Loss Prevention, which he has employed successfully throughout North America and Asia. While at Mark’s, Andy was twice recognized with the Retail Council of Canada Excellence In Retailing Award – Loss Prevention Category in both 2012 and 2015 for programs developed under his leadership. His experience in ORC has gained him the respect and partnership of retailers and law enforcement partners on both sides of the border.

Michael Castro currently holds the role as Senior Director, Information Security and Risk Management for Loblaw Companies Ltd. With over 18 years in Information Security, and over 20 years overall in IT, Mr. Castro’s diverse background has provided him the opportunity to balance cyber, security and business while providing governance that addresses risk to the organization, in accordance with the business model. Prior to joining Loblaw Companies, Mr. Castro has held numerous Senior Info and Cyber Security roles in the areas of Oil & Gas, Finance, and Retail. Michael Holds a Bachelor’s degree from McMaster University and a Masters in Business Administration and IT Management from Athabasca University. He also carries designations for CISSP, CISA, CISM and C|CISO.

Michael has been active in the security and loss prevention industry since 1998, having worked in various organisations including the Canadian Forces, Starbucks and Canada Post. Michael currently leads the risk management portfolio at Longo Brothers Fruit Markets, where he is responsible for Asset Protection, Emergency Management, and Business Continuity programs. Michael holds a Certified Protection Professional designation from ASIS.

Mr. Demers serves on the executive team, as the senior manager of Strategic Business Development responsible for the sustainable future of CannAmm. By providing trustworthy information, tools, and best practices for occupational testing, he seeks to achieve his mission of effectively and sustainably increasing safety for the benefit workers and their families.

Dean Dolan is Counsel to the Toronto office of global law firm Baker & McKenzie. Previously, he was in-house counsel at Walmart Canada Corporation, where he held the position of Vice-President, Associate General Counsel, and Privacy Officer, and was the senior lawyer responsible for data privacy, litigation, and employment and labour law matters. Mr. Dolan is a well-known and highly regarded privacy practitioner in the Canadian in-house legal and privacy professionals community. Mr. Dolan has served on the Executive Committee of the Ontario Bar Association’s Privacy Law Section, the Advisory Board of the Conference Board of Canada’s Chief Privacy Officer’s Council, the Executive of the Retail Council of Canada’s Privacy Committee, and the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers. He is an author, and frequent speaker on privacy, labour and employment, and litigation matters.

Rita Estwick is with Canada Post Security & Investigation Services. In her capacity as Director, Enterprise Security Development, Rita is responsible for mitigating risks and creating positive customer experiences through collaborative partnerships, education and security thought leadership. Her efforts in establishing strategic partnerships with both the business and law enforcement communities have resulted in her being recognized twice on the cover of Canadian Security Magazine and participation at various educational conferences throughout Canada. As a result of her leadership, Rita was the recipient of Retail Council of Canada’s inaugural Retail Loss Prevention Lifetime Achievement Award in September 2015.

Alex is a Senior Solutions Consultant for the Fraud and Security Intelligence practice at SAS Canada. His focus is on leveraging technology and data analytics to find solutions for customers in the fields of fraud, compliance, and governance. He assists clients with the design of their financial crimes programs, aimed at capturing fraud, reducing AML risk exposure, and increasing overall efficiency. Alex has a strong background in software and Big Data driven Analytics solutions, having spent over 8 years as a technical consultant and technical lead in the Financial Crimes field, during which time he designed and implemented solutions built on a core platform of big data analytics and Social Network Analysis. Since coming to Canada Alex has lead projects with major banks and insurance companies, including the anti-auto insurance fraud consortium, CANATICS.

Ron Kornblum, Director of Corporate Security for Loblaw Companies Limited has worked within the Loss Prevention industry for 25 years. Ron first began his career with Zellers Inc. and worked progressively over the next 11 years with The Hudson Bay Company in a variety of Loss Prevention roles. In 2003, Ron joined Indigo Books and Music as a Regional Director of Loss Prevention and was a senior member of the team awarded the Retail Loss Prevention award by the Retail Council of Canada in 2006. Since then, Ron has held the role of Regional Loss Prevention Manager for Old Navy managing their Canadian market and prior to joining Loblaw, Ron held the role of Director, Loss Prevention and Corporate Security for Walmart Canada where he oversaw the Training and Development, Product Protection, Profit Improvement and the Corporate Security and Investigation teams. Ron is a Certified Forensic Interviewer, Certified Fraud Examiner and has completed studies in Law and Security with Sheridan College, Cyberspace Security with Georgian College and most recently, Ron has achieved Black Belt status in Lean Six Sigma with Schulich School of Business.

Maria joined Walmart Canada in 2011, as a key member of the launching inbound team and Ecommerce fulfillment center operations in Toronto. In 2012 she was promoted to Transportation Manager where she played a key role in building the last mile delivery vision and execution plans for Walmart.ca. Maria has helped develop and create a number of programs for Walmart.ca such as parcel delivery lockers, GTA private fleet, and northbound cross dock. Prior to joining Walmart Canada, Maria had spent 8 years in international logistics and supply chain. She has held various roles primarily concentrating on international logistics, customs clearance, and customer service.

Mr. Lipkus manages all internet based counterfeiting investigation and enforcement for Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP. He also conducts web based training of law enforcement throughout the year on behalf of several brand holders. He is active in educating law enforcement, customs, investigators and others about the impact of piracy/counterfeiting; particularizing ways in which to distinguish between authentic and pirated\counterfeit products; outlining techniques to assist law enforcement in obtaining criminal search warrants; and assisting law enforcement on behalf of brand owners in identifying and prosecuting criminal cases.

Cynthia Mathieu is Professor of Organizational Behavior, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. She consults with organizations and teaches on topics relating to dark personalities in the workplace, employee selection, organizational fraud and leadership. She has published empirical research on leadership, narcissism and psychopathy in the workplace.

Jim McKay is President of The AVLECA Group, a boutique consulting firm based in Oakville, Ontario. As a trusted advisor to executives and leaders in industry, his firm helps clients develop strategy, deliver programs and drive engagement, connecting the dots from the shop floor to the board room. Prior to founding AVLECA, Jim spent over five years as a supply chain executive at Walmart Canada, with leadership positions in End to End Supply Chain Strategy and Transportation. At Praxair, Jim led various teams ranging from logistics, product management, continuous improvement and industrial sales.

Stephen O’Keefe works with Retail Council of Canada to advise on the many aspects of loss prevention affecting shrinkage and profitability for retailers. He has 30 years of experience working directly with some of the largest retailers in Canada. Stephen held the role of Vice President of Loss Prevention and Risk Management with Walmart Canada, and was also a key member of a Global team dealing with Mergers and Acquisitions which exposed him to many different countries and in turn different Loss Prevention programs and philosophies. Stephen acts as an advisor to the Loss Prevention network of professionals in areas such as refund fraud, organized crime, restorative justice and the various legislative issues that come up over time.

Colin is the Group Strategy Coordinator for the ECR Community Shrinkage & On Shelf Availability Group. He holds a similar post in America with the RILA (Retailers Industry Leaders Association) Asset Protection Leaders Council. Prior to these appointments, Colin had a thirty-year career at Gillette and Procter & Gamble, where in his last fifteen years he held responsibility for the global leadership of their on-shelf availability, brand protection and shrink prevention capability. In this role, he was responsible for delivering new thief, counterfeiter, shopper and store manager insights, an innovation pipeline of new solutions, including RFID, and profit improvement projects.

An accomplished bilingual Loss Prevention & Security Executive with over 20 years of progressive experience within fast paced global Retail organizations, operating in multiple streams of business including retail store fronts, Online and Distribution network. Proven performance in linking corporate vision with department deliverables through empowerment and development of people and programs and utilizing process and technology to deliver best in class results and regularly achieving or exceeding results, reducing risk and improving the profitability of the organization. A strong motivator known within the industry for effective leadership and innovative thinking with a strong ability for building effective teams and sustainable programs.

Mark Saunders was appointed the 10th Chief of the Toronto Police Service on May 20, 2015. The City of Toronto is a vibrant diverse city covering 636 square kilometres with a diverse population of more than 2,600,000 people. The Toronto Police Service employs over 5300 police officers and 2700 civilian employees and has an annual budget nearing $1 billion dollars. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and 5th largest in North America. During his 32-plus year policing career, Chief Saunders has had extensive investigative experience in Professional Standards, Urban Street Gang Unit, Intelligence Services, Drug Squad, Community Safety Command, and the Emergency Task Force and served as the Unit Commander of the largest Homicide Squad in Canada.

With 20+ years of enterprise security experience, Gordon is acknowledged for his well-defined understanding of the video business. His interface and capacity to identify and align clients' emerging technology needs with products and services, offers a unique skill set that aligns with Hikvison Canada’s Enterprise Team. His successful and diverse background in Retail’s operational management, service delivery, and business-development disciplines underscores his expertise in engaging decision makers and devising winning sales strategies and solutions. Gordon’s uncompromising ethics and transparent communications underpin his business-focused value propositions that leverage competitive advantages via top quality service. His skills in optimizing team dynamics, uniting diverse agendas to common goals, and harnessing strategic and operational drivers to deliver results is what makes him a respected expert in Retail Security.