One of the most effective military leaders in recent U.S. history, General David H. Petraeus is a highly decorated four-star general, whose distinguished military career spanned over 37 years and culminated in six straight commands (five of which were in combat).

Widely credited for changing the course of two wars—by dramatically reducing the violence in Iraq when he led the so-called "Surge" and by halting the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan when he led the operation there—Petraeus was also instrumental in reshaping American military doctrine and then in implementing it when he led the conduct of comprehensive civil-military counterinsurgency campaigns. Serving in multiple campaigns—including nearly seven years deployed following 9-11—Petraeus has been described as one of the "great battle captains of American history." His command during many years in combat has resulted in comparisons to Ulysses S. Grant, John J. Pershing, George C. Marshall and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Following his military service, Petraeus led the CIA, where he oversaw significant achievements in America's global counterterrorism campaign, pursued a substantial initiative to increase worldwide intelligence coverage, guided the development of a strategic plan for the agency and oversaw the establishment of a new Economic Security Center. Petraeus has received numerous prestigious U.S. military, State Department, NATO and United Nations awards, including four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, three Army Distinguished Service Medals, the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the NATO Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Action Badge. Additionally, he has been decorated by 14 foreign countries. Petraeus is a Partner at KKR (a global private equity firm), and currently serves as chairman of the KKR Global Institute, the Kissinger Fellow at Yale University's Jackson School of Global Affairs, and the co-author, with British historian, of Conflict:  The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.