PERSPECTIVES
Stepping Outside of What’s Considered Safe Innovation Thrives When You Reach Beyond Your Comfort Zone
R
ecently we discussed developing a culture of innovation and how the power of open minds can lead to the greatest and most productive results—both with solution providers as well as inside the retail enterprise. But innovation is typically the product of need as much as it is an outcome of ideas and often requires reaching beyond our comfort zones. The reach and influence of the entrepreneurial spirit can present itself in many different ways, and the insights of those willing to step up and think outside the box can have a signifcant and lasting impression on our communities as a whole as well as the loss prevention industry in particular. For perspective and input, we turned to Jorge Nazer, chairman and founder of Grupo ALTO and ALTO US to discuss his thoughts on the subject.
By Jacque Brittain, LPC
Brittain is editorial director for LP Magazine. Prior to joining the magazine, he was director of learning design and certification for Learn It Solutions, where he helped coordinate and write the online coursework for the Loss Prevention Foundation’s LPC and LPQ certifications. Earlier in his career, Brittain was vice president of operations for one of the largest executive recruiting firms in the LP industry. He can be reached at JacB@LPportal.com.
What do you think it takes to create a successful startup company in retail asset protection? NAZER: Since founding our company just over ten years ago, I’ve had the opportunity to talk about this very issue with many different entrepreneurs, both in Latin American and across other latitudes. Some were successful, and some were not. But what I´ve found is that I keep coming back to the same basic principles over and over again, and I believe that those lessons are at the core of what makes a successful and growing company. First, it’s important to think big and to do so from the very beginning. As an entrepreneur, it’s essential that you don’t limit your own vision—not in size, scope, nor ambition. We founded our company as a pilot in a single supermarket in Puerto Varas, a small town in the south of Chile. The store was affiliated with Walmart, and our plan was to expand from there to other locations throughout Chile. But from the beginning we resisted thinking merely in terms of becoming partners with just one retail chain or even the idea of expanding exclusively within a single industry. We knew that we had something special with our model and felt that it could become something larger and more universal. We saw ourselves taking the company to any place and situation where theft, fraud, and malpractice were having a negative impact both on business and on society as a whole, even if that took us out of our comfort zone. We dreamed from day one of becoming international, of adding more and more companies to our network, adapting our model to different industries with different needs, and reducing losses for our clients regardless of location, activity, industry, or even language. It’s been ten years since then, and today we are reducing losses for clients not only in retail but also in logistics, health care, utilities, insurance, and even public transportation. In this first decade we have grown tenfold, and the potential is still immense. I really don’t think we would have achieved this if we had remained in our comfort zone and limited our vision. Thinking big is what gives you the passion to drive your dream forward and convey it to the people that work with you, especially when you have a deeper purpose and a meaning behind what you’re doing that transcends a specific industry, geography, or national culture.
What do you feel is the key to successfully meeting the needs of this diverse business model while managing such rapid growth? NAZER: Put people first. More specifically, put your people at the forefront of innovation and growth. We have been capable
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Jorge Nazer, chairman and founder of Grupo ALTO and ALTO US
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JULY–AUGUST 2018
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