Event Recap – January 29, 2024

On January 17th, BENS Southeast commenced their regional events with a breakfast meeting that included a special guest, General Philip Breedlove. General Breedlove, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander of US European Command, engaged with BENS Southeast members in a discussion centered on his valuable insights and perspectives regarding the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict, which has persisted for nearly two years. Given his previous roles as SACEUR and EUCOM Commander, General Breedlove offered a distinctive and informed viewpoint on the conflict.

This week, BENS had the privilege of hosting retired Army General David Petraeus in New York City for an engaging discussion centered around his best-selling book, “Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine”, co-authored with Andrew Roberts. During the event, our members had the unique opportunity to gain insights from General Petraeus on a wide range of topics, spanning from contemporary conflicts to global trends in globalization, as well as the challenges faced in military recruitment. [Daniel Henry Photos]

On January 24th, our members Joe D’Cruz, Kirsten Bartok Touw, and Kenny Cushing convened with a distinguished delegation of Swedish private sector leaders representing the Swedish Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of this meeting was to delve into the strategic aspects and merits of forging public-private partnerships. The focal point of the discussion centered on the potential role of fostering collaborations between the Swedish private and public sectors as a viable solution to address the recent surge in criminality and gang-related violence within Sweden.