May has begun and Epicor Insights is approaching even faster at the end of the month. One of the most exciting parts of going to conferences like Epicor Insights is the speakers and entertainment that will be there. Often times, we have the opportunity to hear the great legends of our time speak here that we would not have the opportunity to otherwise. This year at Epicor Insights the Keynote Speaker will be General (Ret.) David H. Petraeus, a 37-year career military man, former director of the CIA and partner of the global investment firm KKR. The entertainment this year will be Kelly Clarkson, original American Idol winner and Grammy award winner.
General (Ret.) David H. Petraeus wears many different hats, currently. He is a partner and chairman of the global investment firm KKR. He is a Judge Widney Professor at the University of Southern California and Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center. He currently serves as the Co-Chairman of the Woodrow Wilson Institute’s Global Advisory Council and the Senior Vice President of the Royal United Services Institute. He is also a member of the boards of the Institute for the Study of War, the Atlantic Council, the McCain Institute and ten veteran service organizations.
During General Petraeus 37-year military career, he is recognized for his leadership of the Surge of Iraq which dramatically reduced violence in Iraq. He is also recognized for his command of coalition forces in Afghanistan which reversed momentum of the Taliban and enabled a transition of tasks to the Afghan forces. After retirement from the military, General Petraeus served as the director of the CIA. During his time as director, the Agency saw achievements in the fight against Al Qaeda and he created a strategic plan to guide the Agency.
Kelly Clarkson will be taking the stage at Epicor Insights as one of the night’s entertainment. Clarkson is most well known for her discovery and win on the first season of American Idol in 2002. From there she released the single “A Moment Like This” which topped the Billboard Top 100. Over the years she has had 91 other number ones on the Billboard charts and 11 international number one singles. She has sold 25 million albums worldwide and won 3 Grammy awards. She is the first and only artist to win the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album twice. Clarkson is the first female artist to achieve best-selling holiday album in 2013.