Rudy Giuliani and Ray Kurzweil to Keynote JDA FOCUS 2013

Annual user’s conference to showcase proven solutions and leading practices in supply chain, retail merchandising, store operations and all-channel commerce

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JDA^® Software Group, Inc., The Supply Chain Company^®, today announced that Rudy Giuliani, 107th Mayor of New York City (1993 – 2001), and Ray Kurzweil, one of the world’s leading inventors, thinkers and futurists, will keynote JDA FOCUS 2013, May 5-8 at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center. Kurzweil will speak Monday, May 6, with Giuliani scheduled for Tuesday, May 7.

“A culture of entrepreneurial innovation and empowered leadership are the hallmarks of any great company, which is why we proudly welcome Rudy Giuliani and Ray Kurzweil to FOCUS this year”

“A culture of entrepreneurial innovation and empowered leadership are the hallmarks of any great company, which is why we proudly welcome Rudy Giuliani and Ray Kurzweil to FOCUS this year,” said JDA Chief Executive Officer Hamish Brewer. “FOCUS attendees from a broad cross section of industries, regions and professions come to FOCUS to be inspired and learn how they can make a difference within their own companies. Rudy Giuliani and Ray Kurzweil possess the ideas, expertise and world view that will plant the seeds of possibility, allowing them to envision new paths to success through innovation and leadership, and make a difference within their own companies and careers. We are very much looking forward to having them share their ideas and experiences with us.”

Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani brings a wealth of leadership experience and executive know-how to the FOCUS main stage. Dubbed the “Mayor of the World” and named Person of the Year by Time Magazine following the attacks on New York on September 11, 2001, Giuliani was lauded for his bravery and leadership during some of America’s darkest days.

In his two terms as New York mayor, Giuliani implemented the largest and most successful welfare-to-work initiative in the country, and reduced crime by 56 percent, making New York the safest large city in America according to the FBI. A former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Giuliani spearheaded successful efforts against organized crime, white-collar criminals, drug dealers and corrupt elected officials. Few U.S. Attorneys in history can match his record of more than 4,000 convictions.

Drawing on his experience of turning a city described as ungovernable into a city that is now a worldwide example of good government and effective management, Giuliani was recognized in spring 2002 as “Consultant of the Year” by Consulting magazine. His company, Giuliani Partners, is a leader in strategic consulting, emergency preparedness and leadership. He is a partner in the international law firm Bracewell & Giuliani, and in 2008 ran for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

Ray Kurzweil

Ray Kurzweil is one of the world’s leading inventors, thinkers and futurists, with a 30-year track record of accurate predictions. Called "the restless genius" by The Wall Street Journal and "the ultimate thinking machine" by Forbes magazine, Kurzweil was selected as one of the top entrepreneurs by Inc. magazine, which described him as the "rightful heir to Thomas Edison." PBS selected him as one of the "sixteen revolutionaries who made America."

Kurzweil was the principal inventor of the first CCD flat-bed scanner, the first omni-font optical character recognition, the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, the first text-to-speech synthesizer, the first music synthesizer capable of recreating the grand piano and other orchestral instruments, and the first commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition.

Kurzweil is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, holds 19 honorary doctorates, and has received honors from three U.S. presidents. He has written seven books, five of which have been national best sellers. He was recently appointed director of engineering at Google.

FOCUS 2013

Executives and professionals from the manufacturing, wholesale distribution, transportation and logistics, hospitality and retail industries will attend FOCUS to share insights into innovations and leading practices, and explore business process planning improvements, thereby driving cost efficiencies and maximizing ROI.

Attendees can network with industry peers, JDA solution experts, supply chain thought leaders and technology partners to gain insights on common challenges. Additionally, attendees can learn how JDA’s best-in-class supply chain, retail merchandising, store operations and all-channel commerce solutions and services are being used at some of the world’s leading companies.

Register Now!

To register today and learn more about FOCUS 2013, please visit http://jda.com/focus

Tweet this: .@RealRudyGiulian and @raykurzweil2035 to keynote @JDASoftware #FOCUS2013 in Orlando, FL. http://jda.com/f13

About JDA Software Group, Inc.

JDA^® Software Group, Inc., The Supply Chain Company^®, offers the broadest portfolio of supply chain, retail merchandising, store operations and all-channel commerce solutions to help companies manage the flow of goods from raw materials to finished products and into the hands of consumers. JDA’s deep industry expertise and innovative cloud platform help companies optimize inventory, labor and customer service levels. As a result, JDA solutions have become the standard for the world’s leading retailers, manufacturers and distributors. To learn more, visit jda.com or email [e-mail].

RSS Feeds:
JDA press releases: www.jda.com/rss.asp?a=press
JDA news: http://www.jda.com/rss.asp?a=news
JDA events: http://www.jda.com/rss.asp?a=events

Social Networks:
Web: www.jda.com
Blog: http://blog.jda.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/JDASoftware
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JDASoftwareGroup
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/JDA-Software
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/JDASoftware
SlideShare: www.slideshare.net/JDASoftware

“JDA” is a trademark or registered trademark of JDA Software Group, Inc. Any trade, product or service name referenced in this document using the name “JDA” is a trademark and/or property of JDA Software Group, Inc.