MEDIA ADVISORY: First Lady Michelle Obama to speak at inaugural Veterans Initiative Summit, jointly hosted by Blackstone, The Carlyle Group, KKR and TPG, on October 8th at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON--()--First Lady Michelle Obama will join a roundtable discussion with the hosting firms’ CEOs, senior leaders, and veterans hiring champions and deliver remarks to approximately 150 portfolio company hiring representatives at the inaugural Veterans Initiative Summit, jointly hosted by Blackstone (NYSE:BX), KKR (NYSE:KKR), The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ:CG) and TPG. The sessions in which the First Lady will participate will begin at 1:00p.m. EDT on Thursday, October 8th.

The Veterans Initiative Summit is designed to support the recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion of American veterans across private equity portfolio companies, and will bring together private equity firms and their portfolio companies to promote the sharing of best practices, to identify gaps and opportunities in veteran hiring processes, and to energize leaders as they continue to focus on these important issues. The two-day summit will be held on October 7th and 8th at the Grand Hyatt Washington, located at 1000 H Street NW.

SESSIONS ATTENDED BY THE FIRST LADY:

Thursday, October 8th: 1:00 p.m. – 1:35 p.m.: OPEN PRESS
Location: Grand Hyatt Washington, Franklin Square Meeting Room
Colonel Nicole Malachowski, Executive Director of Joining Forces, will meet with hosting CEOs, senior leaders, and veterans hiring champions.

Thursday, October 8th: 1:35p.m. – 1:40p.m.: OPEN PRESS
Location: Grand Hyatt Washington, Independence Ballroom A
First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver remarks to approximately 150 hiring executives and introduce a panel of four American veterans employed by portfolio companies.

MEDIA NOTE: Registration is required by Wednesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. and members of the press must arrive at the Grand Hyatt Washington by 12:00 p.m. on October 8th. To register for the event please email MediaRegistration@inventivhealth.com. Press who do not have a White House hard pass must include their social security number, date of birth, country of citizenship, current city/state of residence and gender. If interested in interviews with any of the participants, please contact Suzanne Miller at (314) 795-4225 or MediaRegistration@inventivhealth.com.

Live truck parking is available on October 8th from 9:00am to 3:00pm on the 700 block of 11 St. NW, adjacent to the Grand Hyatt Washington, exit door 25. Live trucks must RSVP with vehicle information to MediaRegistration@inventivhealth.com. Additional updated details for registered media will be provided in advance of the event. All OPEN PRESS Veterans Initiative Summit sessions are listed below.

FULL SUMMIT PRESS SCHEDULE:

Wednesday, October 7th:

1:00p.m. – 1:10p.m.: Presentation of the Colors, Welcome & Overview
Speaker: Blackstone, Carlyle, KKR, TPG

1:10p.m. – 1:15p.m.: Opening Remarks
Speaker: Curtis Coy, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

1:15p.m. – 1:45p.m.: White House Update
Speaker: Colonel Nicole Malachowski, Executive Director, Joining Forces, Office of The First Lady

1:45p.m. – 2:45p.m.: Veterans Initiatives Panel: Challenges & Opportunities
Moderator: Sheryl Palmer, President and CEO, Taylor Morrison Home Corporation
Panelists: Alex Baird, ESGR; Blayne Smith, Team Red, White & Blue; Zach Iscol, Hirepurpose; Wesley Clark, Hilton

3:00p.m. – 3:45p.m.: The Military Perspective
Speaker: General Daniel B. Allyn, Army Vice Chief of Staff

3:45p.m. – 4:45p.m.: Best Practices Panel: View from the Outside
Moderator: Col. Miguel Howe, U.S. Army (Ret.), Director of the Military Service Initiative, The Bush Institute
Panelists: Matthew Parsons, McKinsey & Company; Julie Gehrki, Wal-Mart; and others

4:45p.m. – 5:15p.m.: Hiring Our Heroes Overview
Speaker: Eric Eversole, President, Hiring Our Heroes, and Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Thursday, October 8th:

1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.: Colonel Nicole Malachowski Meeting with Hosting CEOs, Senior Leaders, and Veterans Hiring Champions
Participants: Colonel Nicole Malachowski, Executive Director, Joining Forces, Office of The First Lady; hosting CEOs; and veterans hiring champions

1:15p.m. – 1:35p.m.: Roundtable Discussion with the First Lady
Participants: The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama; hosting firm leadership; and veterans hiring champions

1:35p.m. – 1:40p.m.: Keynote Remarks by The First Lady of the United States
Speaker: Introduction by Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Blackstone

1:40p.m. – 2:15p.m.: Veterans Panel: Transition and Integration Experiences
Moderator: Stephanie Barna, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), U.S. Department of Defense
Panelists: Four veterans representing Blackstone, Carlyle, KKR, and TPG portfolio companies

2:15p.m. – 2:20p.m.: Remarks from Blackstone, KKR, The Carlyle Group, and TPG Senior Leadership
Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Blackstone
Dan Akerson, Vice Chairman of The Carlyle Group, and former CEO of General Motors
Todd A. Fisher, Member and Global Chief Administrative Officer, KKR
David Bonderman, TPG Founding Partner

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 $330 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 $193 billion of assets under management across 128 funds and 159 fund of funds vehicles as of June 30, 2015. 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 1,700 people in 35 offices across six continents.

About KKR

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.

About TPG

TPG is a leading global private investment firm founded in 1992 with approximately $75 billion of assets under management and offices in San Francisco, Fort Worth, Austin, Dallas, Houston, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Moscow, Mumbai, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. TPG has extensive experience with global public and private investments executed through leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, growth investments, joint ventures and restructurings. The firm’s investments span a variety of industries including healthcare, energy, industrials, consumer/ retail, technology, media & communications, software, financial services, travel, entertainment and real estate. For more information visit www.tpg.com.

Contacts

For Blackstone, The Carlyle Group, KKR and TPG
Suzanne Miller, 314-795-4225
MediaRegistration@inventivhealth.com

Contacts

For Blackstone, The Carlyle Group, KKR and TPG
Suzanne Miller, 314-795-4225
MediaRegistration@inventivhealth.com