Summit convenes experts and private equity portfolio companies to advance the hiring, retention, and career development of U.S. veterans
New York, NY – Beginning today, investment firms Apollo(NYSE: APO), Blackstone (NYSE: BX), KKR (NYSE: KKR), The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG), and TPG will jointly host the second annual Veterans Initiative Summit to support the hiring and retention of America’s veterans. The two-day summit builds on momentum from last year’s inaugural event, providing further resources to help the firms’ portfolio companies hire and retain veterans and military spouses.
The private equity industry represents hundreds of companies and more than 11 million American employees. The collective impact of these businesses is enormous, and together they have the potential to create significant opportunity for veterans and military spouses. This year’s summit will feature in-depth, small group discussions on steps that can be taken to expand veterans’ initiatives, as well as speakers who will share the tangible, operational improvements these programs have had on their businesses. The sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including how to ensure a positive transition to civilian life and effectively using career mapping. The summit seeks to be a forum for sharing best practices and open dialogue about challenges and opportunities when working with veteran employees, such as sourcing and hiring, integration, career development, and retention.
“We recognize that people are our most valuable asset, and hiring talented employees can transform a company from good to great. In 2013, we launched the Apollo Veterans Initiative to champion the recruitment, hiring, and retention of veterans and military spouses across the portfolio of companies managed by Apollo’s funds. Veterans have unique skill sets and experiences that add immeasurable value to companies throughout the country. We are proud of the collective efforts of our firm and the private equity industry to continue championing veteran employment and retention,” said Leon Black, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Global Management.
“We are extremely proud to partner once again with firms across the industry in support of hiring military veterans. By working together, we can make a substantial impact while equipping the companies in our portfolio with some of the strongest talent available,” said Stephen A. Schwarzman, Blackstone’s Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder. “Veterans walk in the door with a proven track record of leadership, management, teamwork and loyalty. We’re proud to do our part to ensure those who serve our country develop meaningful careers utilizing the skills they acquire in service to our country when they transition back to civilian life.”
Daniel A. D’Aniello, Co-Founder and Chairman of The Carlyle Group and a U.S. Navy veteran, said, “As we launch the second annual Veterans Initiative Summit, we are ever grateful to our veterans for their service and sacrifice. Carlyle and our portfolio companies are committed to supporting and fostering our veterans’ career development and retention. This summit is a significant step in advancing that support to America’s veterans and their families.”
George Roberts, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of KKR, said: “Diversity of thought and experience enhances business performance, and there is no question that the leadership, integrity, and background of our veterans offer a unique and valuable perspective that would ultimately help companies make better decisions. Supporting our veterans in their career development is good for businesses and good for our nation.”
“This event demonstrates a shared belief among leaders in our industry that hiring veterans merits special focus. These highly capable employees often lack access to job opportunities because they haven’t followed a typical path into the business world. But helping place veterans in jobs is only part of the solution. Ensuring they succeed by providing ongoing education, mentorship, and sponsorship is essential,” said Jon Winkelried, Co-CEO of TPG. “Having mentored veterans over the past decade, I see immense value in a forum like this, which fosters connection and facilitates networking between veterans from different backgrounds. TPG is proud to be part of it.”
In addition to leaders in veteran employment from the partner firms’ collective 400+ U.S.-based portfolio companies, which represent more than 1.5 million domestic employees, the summit will feature dynamic and informative speakers including Frank Bisignano, Chairman and CEO of First Data; Tom Bullock, Chief of Employer Engagement at the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; Eric Eversole, President of Hiring Our Heroes and Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Teresa W. Gerton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Department of Labor; Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Marvin L. Hill, FedEx Freight Advisor – Project Management; Colonel William T. Johnson, Joining Forces Executive Director; General (Ret.) David H. Petraeus, Member and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute; and Brad Snyder, US Paralympic Gold Medal Swimmer and Navy Veteran.
Since the inaugural Veterans Initiative Summit in 2015, the firms have collaborated, provided support to one another, and helped portfolio companies hire, retain, and promote the integration of veterans into the broader community and economy. Following the summit, the sponsoring firms and attendees will continue to focus on developing and sharing more robust tactics and spreading best practices, thereby aiming to strengthen companies and communities.
About Apollo
Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Bethesda, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Apollo had assets under management of approximately $189 billion as of September 30, 2016 in private equity, credit and real estate funds invested across a core group of nine industries where Apollo has considerable knowledge and resources. For more information about Apollo, please visit www.agm.com.
About Blackstone
Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies in which we invest, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with over $360 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, non-investment grade credit, real assets, and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow us on Twitter @Blackstone.
About The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global alternative asset manager with $169 billion of assets under management across 125 funds and 177 fund of funds vehicles as of September 30, 2016. Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, many of whom are public pensions. Carlyle invests across four segments – Corporate Private Equity, Real Assets, Global Market Strategies and Investment Solutions – in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Carlyle has expertise in various industries, including: aerospace, defense & government services, consumer & retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, real estate, technology & business services, telecommunications & media and transportation. The Carlyle Group employs more than 1,625 people in 35 offices across six continents. Web: www.carlyle.com Videos: http://www.carlyle.com/news-room/corporate-videos_new Tweets: www.twitter.com/onecarlyle Podcasts: www.carlyle.com/about-carlyle/market-commentary
KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages investments across multiple asset classes including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit and hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation at the asset level. KKR invests its own capital alongside its partners’ capital and brings opportunities to others through its capital markets business. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE:KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.
About TPG
TPG is a leading global alternative asset firm founded in 1992 with over $70 billion of assets under management and offices in Austin, Beijing, Boston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Hong Kong, Houston, Istanbul, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, São Paulo, and Singapore. TPG’s investment platforms are across a wide range of asset classes, including private equity, growth venture, real estate, credit, and public equity. TPG aims to build dynamic products and options for its investors while also instituting discipline and operational excellence across the investment strategy and performance of its portfolio. For more information, visit http://www.tpg.com/.
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Press Contact:
Apollo
Gary M. Stein +1 212-822-0467
[email protected]
Blackstone
Courtney Comiskey, +1 212 583-5929
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The Carlyle Group
Elizabeth Gill, +1 202-729-5385
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KKR
Cara Kleiman, +1 212-519-1619
[email protected]
TPG
Luke Barrett, +1 212-601-4752
[email protected]