The Restaurant Loss Prevention and Security Association (RLPSA) held a regional RLPSA CONNECT workshop on August 20, 2024, hosted by Chipotle Mexican Grill at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The room was filled with both large national brands as well as local franchisees.
The mission of RLPSA’s regional CONNECT events is to bring together local and national restaurant representatives to build long-term, beneficial relationships to help each other protect people, decrease loss, and increase profits within their individual organizations. Over 70 restaurant attendees and solution provider sponsors shared, learned and collaborated during this value-packed day.
Josh Phillips, RLPSA board member and Senior Director, Head of Global Security & Resilience, Chipotle Mexican Grill welcomed the group to Columbus. Presentations included:
- “Election Outlook and Q&A” – Presented by Sara Pratley, Senior Vice President, Global Intelligence, AlertMedia
- “Preparing for Civil Unrest” – A panel discussion featuring Bill Ball, Field Security Manager, McDonald’s, representatives from DHS, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, the Columbus Police Department, and moderated by Josh Phillips, Senior Director, Head of Global Security & Resilience, Chipotle Mexican Grill
- “Considerations for Starting a Global Security Operations Center (GSOC)” – A panel discussion with Matt Roseberry, Manager, Global Security Operations, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Kelsey Valdez, Global Security Operations Center Associate Manager, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Rob Norton, Principal Program Lead, Chick-fil-A, and moderated by Sara Pratley, Senior Vice President, Global Intelligence, AlertMedia
- Tabletop Exercise: Civil Unrest Scenario—A first for RLPSA, Josh Phillips led an interactive session with Christopher Hutchins, Business Continuity Program Manager, Chipotle Mexican Grill with attendees on a realistic crisis scenario impacting a company. The discussion and dialogue were robust and energetic, and everyone gained new knowledge and perspectives.
During the networking lunch, attendees toured Chipotle’s global security operations center (GSOC), which is located near the Nationwide Arena. Tour groups were led by Chipotle’s GSOC team and attendees were given a behind-the-scenes look at Chipotle’s cutting-edge center devoted to restaurant safety and security.
The day concluded with facilitated discussions about sophisticated phone and texting scams in restaurants, facilitated by RLPSA board members Wendy Hans, Director, Fraud/Loss Control at AMC Theatres and Thomas Stein, Director, Asset Protection & Safety, Paradies Lagardère. Attendees received a printed copy of the RLPSA “Just Hang Up” phone scam prevention poster.
This value-packed day of learning and partnership concluded with networking reception, made possible by the event sponsors. RLPSA thanks its sponsors for this event, including Envysion, Hanwha Vision, IPConfigure, NAVCO, Protos Security (formerly Summit Off-Duty Services), Telaid, Blue Dot Safes, March Networks, LockNet, Premier Protective Security, Inc. and SafeStreets National Accounts, as well as to Chipotle Mexican Grill for hosting the event.
Visit www.rlpsa.com for the next RLPSA CONNECT event in 2025.