40 under 40: Tyler Skiba, Chico's FAS

YARMOUTH, Maine--Tyler Skiba is inspired and motivated by his daily responsibilities.

Skiba serves as Supervisor of Asset Protection - Remote Operations for the Fort Myers, Fla.-based Chico’s FAS, a cultivator of brands serving the lifestyle needs of fashion-savvy women 30 years and older. His day-to-day responsibilities include management of the security operations center, burglary monitoring, digital fraud mitigation, camera management, and security-related maintenance for Chico’s, White House I Black Market and Soma store locations throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Skiba told Security Systems News that after he entered the world of retail, he started to focus on asset protection. While that is his primary role at Chico’s FAS, he pointed out that keeping the customers safe really drives him each day.

“After being hired for a typical part-time retail position and learning the many different roles of the business, my focus quickly transitioned towards asset protection,” he explained. “I was given the opportunity to join a team of professionals who provided guidance, mentorship and the foundation to make a positive impact. Although asset protection provides a vast array of benefits to a retail business, the ability to keep people safe and assist in their time of need continues to be my inspiration and primary motivation.”

Innovation

Skiba immediately offered a one-word response when asked about what new and security technology he was most excited about.

“Innovation,” he said. “Technology advancement has superseded anything I ever expected from an asset protection perspective. As technology continues to evolve and provide actionable data at a much faster pace, it is now our mission to adapt and continue to provide the invaluable human element.”  

Transition

The COVID-19 pandemic created personal and professional challenges in everyone’s lives, and Skiba and his colleagues were no exception.

“This year has provided challenges in both professional and personal aspects of lives,” he explained. “Our team quickly transitioned to working from home this year; this was unknown territory for all of us. The ability to quickly react to this transition, while maintaining hyper-focus on our people during these challenging times, has continued to provide success to our team, and the business.”

Knowledge is Power

Skiba predicted that the knowledge gained over the past year will lead to tremendous growth for the security industry as a whole.

“These are exciting times for our industry,” he said. “We’ve gained an unbelievable amount of knowledge this year. Now is the time to utilize what we’ve learned and apply the necessary changes. Growth will undoubtedly follow.”

Looking ahead, Skiba noted that the growth of technology will lead to more young, talented people to join the security industry.

“Speaking from a long-term perspective, I believe the advancement of security technology will be the primary driver on this initiative,” he said. “As security continues to integrate with our everyday lives in the form of technology, younger generations are going to connect and be drawn to our industry. In the meantime, in-house recruitment and careful review of applicant qualifications may be a viable option.”