John Matas is a senior fraud and loss prevention executive with over 30

years of experience leading strategy, innovation, and transformation

across the retail and technology sectors. He is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Blacklight Strategy, a boutique advisory firm specializing in go-to-market strategy, competitive intelligence, and retail market penetration for fraud prevention and asset protection solution providers.

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John’s unique career spans both sides of the retail equation. He served in senior leadership roles at Macy’s, Bloomingdale's, Etsy, and other major retailers, where he built and led fraud mitigation, organized retail crime (ORC), and enterprise loss prevention programs. Now, he advises B2B SaaS companies and growth-stage tech providers on how to align their offerings with real-world retail needs—bridging the critical gap between product capabilities and buyer priorities.

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John is widely recognized for his deep operational expertise and strategic insight. He coined the phenomenon of the 'Retail Defense Paradigm' as well as the theory of 'Retail Loss Orchestration,' a forward-looking framework that integrates fraud, asset protection, investigations, and data-driven decision-making to protect profit and customer trust in a unified model.

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At Blacklight Strategy, John partners with founders, CROs, CMO's, and product leaders to:

• Develop competitive and market intelligence functions

• Shape product positioning and messaging for executive buyers

• Navigate corporate analyst engagement

• Equip sales teams with effective enablement tools and GTM support

• Accelerate traction with top-tier retailers through strategy-driven engagement

 

Known for his practical approach, industry fluency, and ability to “see what others miss,” John is a trusted advisor to companies looking to break through complexity, sharpen their edge, and win in a highly competitive market.