The FMI Asset Protection & Grocery Resilience Conference explores how grocery industry leaders can strengthen safety, security and operational resilience through smarter AI adoption, a culture of accountability and modern intelligence tools like OSINT to better protect people, assets and operations in an increasingly complex risk environment.
By: Tom Cosgrove, Director, Industry Relations, FMI
.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=ec06d8d_1 "APGR 26 Keynotes (for blog)")
The asset protection community faces an ever-evolving landscape of challenges, from supply chain disruptions and cybersecurity threats to enterprise risk and safety. By embracing innovation and collaboration, industry leaders are poised to weather any storm that comes their way.
This year's FMI Asset Protection & Grocery Resilience Conference (FMI APGR) features a diverse array of keynote speakers, each offering a unique perspective on the trials and tribulations impacting the industry. Below are key insights from three of the conference's most thought-provoking discussions:
AI is broken. But we're here to share the solution.
AI-powered technology is becoming the norm, but very few platforms are ready, including those in asset protection, safety, risk and cyber professionals in the grocery industry.
Anchored on data and insights from training hundreds of “AI Champions” from across North America, NoW of Work CEO & Founder Rocky Ozaki will share the most common pitfalls organizations face in adopting AI. These include poor organizational “AI readiness;” leadership focusing on shiny object AI solutions instead of starting with “problems to solve” and lacking a framework to measure ROI on AI investments. Attendees will also learn about the energy and environmental impacts of AI, the global AI race and how both macro issues tie into how organizations adopt AI.
The Accountability Advantage: Building Teams That Own Results in a High-Risk, High-Demand Industry
In today’s grocery environment, leaders face increasing pressure from operational risk and safety concerns, rising theft, workforce challenges and constant disruption. While systems and technology matter, the organizations that truly thrive share one common advantage: a culture of accountability.
Dr. Quendrida Whitmore (Coach Quen) introduces The Accountability Advantage, a practical leadership framework that helps organizations strengthen ownership, elevate performance and build teams that deliver results, even in complex and high-pressure environments.
Through engaging stories, practical insights and real-world leadership examples, Coach Quen will challenge leaders to examine how accountability truly shows up in their culture, from the front lines to senior leadership. Participants will walk away with a clear understanding of how self-awareness, team alignment and disciplined follow-through create organizations where people take ownership, solve problems and protect what matters most. Because in today’s environment, accountability isn’t just a leadership skill; it’s a competitive advantage.
Secure What Matters Most
Security leaders today operate in an environment where threats move seamlessly between the physical and digital world. A single vulnerability, online, operational or human, can quickly become reputational exposure or operational disruption. In this keynote, Cynthia Hetherington will draw on investigative tradecraft and Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) to challenge how organizations think about protection. Instead of trying to secure everything, leaders must identify what truly matters most and focus their efforts there. This session provides a practical leadership framework for using OSINT to recognize vulnerabilities, prioritize risk, and protect the trust their organizations depend on.
Attendees will learn how OSINT reveals hidden vulnerabilities across physical, digital and human environments; why modern asset protection requires thinking beyond traditional security boundaries; how to identify risk when everything cannot be protected; and how security leaders can protect reputation, operations, and organizational trust.
Take part in this year’s FMI Asset Protection & Grocery Resilience Conference, May 12-15, in Austin to get your front-row seat to these discussions.
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