John Matas is a prominent digital fraud and asset protection influencer, boasting a career spanning over three decades. His profound expertise in criminal investigations, organized retail crime, retail operations, open-source intelligence, and team development has established him as a trusted authority in the field.

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As the Founder and President of the boutique consulting company BLACKLIGHT, John has demonstrated an unwavering commitment and enthusiasm to advancing cyber-security threat intelligence and revenue integrity. Under his leadership, BLACKLIGHT has helped transform digital fraud's challenges into strategic advantages for organizations. His innovative and creative approach extends beyond risk mitigation, proactively leveraging these risks to enhance business resilience and security.

 

John's unique journey in asset protection began with his pivotal role as the Vice President of Asset Protection, Investigations, Fraud, and Organized Retail Crime at Macy's Inc., where he spent over two decades. He was instrumental in establishing comprehensive investigative programs, strategic planning initiatives, profit protection strategies, and integrating advanced business technology. His tenure at Macy's marked a significant era in shaping industry standards in asset protection, investigations, organized retail crime, and fraud mitigation controls.

 

Following his tenure at Macy's, John furthered his impact as the Global Head of Risk & Fraud for Etsy Inc., managing the organization's comprehensive fraud strategy in a highly regulated environment. John built a cohesive and energetic team and structured robust policies, processes, and tools while ensuring impactful prevention, detection, and investigation of fraud and suspicious marketplace activities.

 

As an active member of the Editorial Board for Loss Prevention Magazine and a regular speaker at esteemed forums like the National Retail Federation, Retail Industry Leaders Association, International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, Merchant Risk Council, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, John's voice is highly sought after in the industry.

 

John is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Financial Crimes Investigator (CFCI). He is an alumnus of Kean University, where he graduated with a BA in Political Science and Criminal Justice, and is currently enhancing his skillset in Applied Machine Learning at Columbia University.