The World Affairs Council of Orange County & the Association for Corporate Growth present:
Inside the War Room:
An Evening with General David Petraeus (Ret.)
featuring
General David Petraeus
Four-star General, Former Director of the CIA (2011-2012), Commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan from 2010-2011, and Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) from 2008-2010
Moderated by:
Ambassador John B. Emerson
Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany (2013-2017) & current Vice Chairman of Capital Group International, Inc.
An In-Person Evening Event
Join us for an evening with our distinguished guest, General David Petraeus, a four-star general and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, who will take you behind the battle lines in this exclusive evening event.
General Petraeus’s newest book:
Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine
will be available for purchase on-site. All proceeds go to our veterans.
Books will be sold by:
Date & Time:
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
5:00 – 6:00 PM: Networking & Appetizers
6:00 – 6:25 PM: Moderated discussion with Gen. Petraeus
6:25 – 7:00 PM: Q&A
Location:
Irvine Marriott
18000 Von Karman Ave.
Irvine, CA 92612
Tickets:
Advanced Tickets:
Members of WACOC: $75
Non-members: $115
Members Preferred Seating (reserved seating in front rows): $125
Non-Members Preferred Seating (reserved seating in front rows): $165
VIP Package*: $250
*This includes: one seat in preferred seating, access to the VIP reception which includes a meet-and-greet and photo op (this package is free for Founder’s Club members and Ambassador-level members; please contact our office to redeem)
Day-of Tickets:
Members of WACOC: $95
Non-members: $135
Parking:
Attendees may park on-site at the hotel and will receive a discounted self-parking price of $15 per vehicle.
*The World Affairs Council will not be covering parking for this event
Speaker Bio:
General David Petraeus (Ret.)
General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.) is one of the leading
battlefield commanders and strategists of our time. He served over 37 years in the US military culminating his career with six consecutive commands as a general officer, five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and NATO/US Forces in Afghanistan. He subsequently served as Director of the CIA, following confirmation by the Senate by a vote of 94-0, during a period of significant achievements in the global war on terror
General Petraeus is now a Partner with the global investment firm KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, which he established in 2013. He also serves on corporate boards, is the Kissinger Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson School, and is the co-author, with Andrew Roberts, of Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine.
General Petraeus graduated with distinction from the US Military Academy, earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University, and has held academic appointments at 5 universities in addition to his current position at Yale. He is also Co-Chairman of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Global Advisory Council, Senior Vice President of the Royal United Services Institute, and a member of the Trilateral Commission, Council on Foreign Relations, and Aspen Strategy Group.
His awards include four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Combat Action Badge, the Ranger tab, and master parachutist wings. He has also been decorated by 14 foreign countries and is believed to be the only person in uniform to throw out the first pitch of a World Series game and do the coin toss for a Super Bowl. He was runner-up to Vladimir Putin for Time Person of the Year in 2007, the Daily Telegraph Man of the Year, twice a Time 100 selectee, three times a Foreign Policy top public intellectual, Prospect magazine’s Public Intellectual of the Year, one of US News and World Report’s Top 25 Leaders, and sanctioned by Russia (in 2022).
Moderator Bio:
Ambassador John B. Emerson
John Emerson works in global distribution as vice chairman of Capital Group International,
Inc. He has 22 years of industry experience, all with Capital Group. He most recently served as the United States ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2015, John was awarded the State Department’s Susan M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service, which is given annually to one non-career ambassador, and in 2017 he was awarded the CIA Medal and the U.S. Navy’s Distinguished Public Service award. Prior to accepting the ambassadorial posting, John was president of Private Client Services for the Capital Group Companies. Before joining Capital, he was deputy assistant to President Clinton where he coordinated his economic conferences, served as the president’s liaison to the nation’s governors, and led the administration’s efforts to obtain congressional approval of the GATT Uruguay Round Agreement and the extension of China’s MFN trading status. Additionally, he was appointed by President Obama to serve on his Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. Before working in the Clinton White House, John served as Los Angeles Chief Deputy City Attorney, and was a partner in the law firm of Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg, and Phillips.
Ambassador Emerson currently serves as Chairman of the American Council on Germany and on the boards of the Pacific Council on International Policy, the German Marshall Fund, the American Friends of the Munich Security Conference, the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles, and the Music Center Foundation. Previously he served as Chairman of the Music Center of Los Angeles (2003-11), Vice Chairman of the Los Angeles Metropolitan YMCA (2007-13), and as Chair of the first ever Los Angeles City Independent Redistricting Commission (2001). He is a long serving member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
John holds an honorary doctor of laws degree from Hamilton College, a juris doctorate degree from the University of Chicago and a bachelors degree in philosophy from Hamilton College. John is based in Los Angeles.
