Doug Baker is the vice president of industry relations at the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), a leading trade group for the grocery sector. He assists FMI's member communities in growing and thriving in various domains, such as private brands, technology, supply chain, and asset protection. He leads the Asset Protection Council, which strives to reduce merchandise loss and establish safe and healthy stores and workplaces, as well as the Technology Leadership Council, Supply Chain Council, Private Brands Council, and cross-industry efforts focused on transparency and data accuracy. Doug has more than 35 years of experience in food retail, working with Fry's Food Stores, Kraft/Nabisco, and Federated Foods in roles related to retail operations, consumer packaged goods, and private brand creation and marketing.

Dale Buckner is the CEO and President of Global Guardian, LLC, leading the company since its founding in March 2012. A decorated combat commander, he completed multiple combat tours and classified operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia, Haiti, and Cuba, with deployments to Russia, El Salvador, Honduras, Chile, Panama, Kuwait, and Qatar.

Dale served 24 years in the U.S. Army, including nine years in Infantry, two in Military Intelligence, and 13 in Special Forces Green Berets, commanding five organizations, including a Special Forces Counter-Terrorism Task Force.

He holds Bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Business, Master’s degrees in Public Administration and Business Administration, and a Strategic Leadership Certificate from Cornell. A recipient of 27 awards, including the Bronze Star and Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Dale is a recognized industry thought leader, featured in CNN, Politico, NPR, Bloomberg, Forbes, and The Hill.

Chris Girone serves as the National Manager of Fraud & Loss at Aldi US, a leading grocery retailer that opened its first store in 1976. Aldi US now operates over 2,450 locations and 26 warehouses across 38 states. In his current role, Chris oversees Investigations, eCommerce fraud, and loss prevention analytics.

With an MBA from Judson University, Chris is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI), Loss Prevention Certified (LPC), and holds a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). Chris is also on the board for the Midwest Chapter of the International Association of Interviewers (IAI). He brings over 25 years of experience in loss prevention, beginning his career as a single store LP manager at JCPenney. Chris has held positions such as Regional Investigator at TJX, District Loss Prevention Manager at Dick's Sporting Goods, and most recently, Senior Manager of Loss Prevention Operations at Office Depot, where he served for 16 years before joining Aldi in 2022.

Edward Gonzalez is the Senior Asset Protection Manager for Northgate Markets, a family-owned company established in 1980. In this role he oversees the field operations team responsible for conducting investigations, as well as the in-house monitoring center, which provides security oversight for 43 store locations throughout Southern California.

With seventeen years of experience in Asset Protection, Edward has held multiple leadership roles where he played a key role in developing and implementing loss prevention strategies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and will complete his MBA this summer, further strengthening his expertise in security operations, risk management, and business leadership.

Rob Harrold is the Chief Customer Officer for Everseen, leading overall customer strategy and execution initiatives tied to integrating Everseen’s cutting-edge Visual AI solutions and platform. 

With over 25 years of industry and consulting experience, Rob has specialized in optimizing customer experiences and driving operational efficiencies. Previously, as a Managing Director of Deloitte Consulting’s Retail Practice, he worked closely with major retailers to reduce loss and elevate in-store experiences, and has brought this expertise to help unlock AI’s impact for retailers.

Drew brings over 14 years of experience in retail and grocery, particularly in transforming store operations by integrating technology, digital solutions, and operational execution. Drew has worked with various retailers across the operations and Asset Protection landscape as part of his role of helping to lead Deloitte’s US Stores Practice. Drew resides in Denver, Colorado with his Fiancée, Chloe and his Dog, Penny. Together they enjoy all the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer. 

Mason Keller is the Vice President of Asset Protection for Schnuck Markets, Inc., where he leads the Safety, Security, Central Alarms, and Incident Management teams. Founded in north St. Louis in 1939, Schnucks is a progressive, family-owned grocery company that operates 114 stores in four states: Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. 

Prior to joining Schnucks in 2014, Mason served for 16 years with the St. Louis County Police Department in numerous roles including Media Relations Officer, Neighborhood Policing Supervisor and Detective Lieutenant assigned as the Commander of the Police Crime Laboratory. 

In his role at FMI, Markenson oversees the research & insights practice. He leads the discovery process on the latest industry trends and operational insights that champion FMI as a credible voice of the food retail industry. Markenson is a market research executive with 30 years of progressive experience in his field. His diverse experience includes research design, information/data collection and analysis and strategic planning.

Markenson was formerly the president of WBA Research, a national market research firm founded in 1987, where he oversaw more than 30 full-time professionals, along with a part-time staff of more than 100 telephone interviewers, field interviewers and support staff. Earlier in his career, Markenson worked at Snyder Communications, where he directed all aspects of more than 90 annual market research studies and presented results to brand management, market research departments, advertising and promotion agencies.

Alex is a driving force behind growth at Everseen, ensuring customer success across the entire customer journey while fostering marketplace and ecosystem collaborations that create new opportunities for retailers. 

With over 30 years of experience in retail and consulting, Alex has worked with industry leaders such as Accenture, Walgreens, Nielsen, Crossmark, the Original Blue Yonder, and Everseen. He has held key leadership roles in category management, operational efficiency, and technology implementation. His expertise spans AI/ML, Computer Vision, and customer/associate technology design, build, and deployment—delivering innovative solutions that enhance retail operations and customer experiences.

A serial entrepreneur and pioneer in eLearning and digital touchpoint design, Dan Stechow has built and sold multiple digital companies and led award-winning initiatives for Fortune 500 brands like AT&T, McDonald's, and DaimlerChrysler. As founder and CEO of TPOP, he architects engaging and effective online training that helps organizations protect employees and assets by mitigating workplace violence. Backed by industry leaders like NRF, FMI, and RLPSA, and trusted by clients such as H&M, Chick-fil-A, Ford, and the American Red Cross, Dan is committed to delivering top-tier e-learning solutions that positively impact workplace safety.

Justen is currently serving as Walmart’s Vice President of E2E Asset Protection, drawing on experience in supply chain operations, eCommerce, security, shrink, and field leadership.  Justen is focused on Building a world-class asset protection team, designed to cultivate a culture of preparedness and make our facilities the safest place to work and shop while strengthening standards in compliance and reducing overall loss. 

Justen began his Walmart career as an hourly associate at DC 6016, New Braunfels, TX and has been progressively promoted over the past 34 years serving as General Manager (CA), Divisional/Regional Vice President (New England and TX), Vice President (eCommerce Operations & Fulfillment), Senior Vice President (Walmart Supply Chain Operations), Senior Vice President (Walmart Central Operations), Division Vice President (Supply Chain), and Vice President (E2E Asset Protection). 

Justen’s education includes Texas Wesleyan, Southwest Texas State, and John Brown University.

Justen is a current member of the ACNT Board of Directors, Ozark Juniors Board of Directors and has previously served on several Chamber of Commerce boards, United Way Board of Directors, Advisory council to the Red Cross, and Hope NWA.