Former CIA chief and four-star general David Petraeus joins New York-based private-equity firm just SIX MONTHS after affair scandal The retired military general has joined New York-based KKR Will also serve as visiting professor of public policy at CUNY In March he apologized to those he'd hurt with his affair with biographer Paula Broadwell 'I join you keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago,' he said By James Daniel and Reuters Reporter Just six months after resigning as director of the CIA, David Petraeus is back in the public eye. The retired military general has joined New York-based private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) as chairman of a group that will "study macroeconomic trends and government policies to assess their implications on the firm's investments." Once a national hero for saving the United States from humiliation during his 2007-2008 stint as the commander of coalition forces in Iraq, Petraeus resigned as CIA director in disgrace in November after revealing an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell. Six months after resigning as director of the CIA, David Petraeus has joined New York-based private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. It was a stunning downfall for a revered military man who was seen as one of the top American leaders of his generation and was once considered a potential contender for the White House. Petraeus was credited with helping pull Iraq from the brink of an all-out civil war as commander there and President Barack Obama turned to him to lead U.S. forces in Afghanistan before moving to him to the CIA in 2011. KKR, which has more than $78 billion in assets under management, has been involved in some of the biggest private equity buyouts in history including the $45 billion takeover of Texas power producer TXU, now known as Energy Future Holdings, in 2007. KKR's other investments include hospital operator HCA Holdings, retailer Toys R US, and internet domain registration company Go Daddy Group. Petraeus met Broadwell when she was a graduate student at Harvard University and working on a dissertation about him Private equity still accounts for most of KKR's assets under management, but the firm has been diversifying into credit and hedge funds. In a statement, Petraeus said: "I am very pleased to join such a great team. I have watched KKR evolve as it adapted to the post-financial crisis world and became a go-to partner for companies worldwide. 'I look forward to supporting the investment teams in their pursuit of the best opportunities for clients and also being a part of a new initiative to provide additional insights to KKR's clients and companies. Petraeus and KKR co-founder Henry Kravis have known each other for years via the Council of Foreign Relations, and reportedly have been in talks since early this year about how they might work together. In 2008 KKR hired former Republican National Committee chair Ken Mehlman to lead its public affairs effort. Petraeus will also support KKR's investment teams in the diligence process, particularly in considering investments in new geographies, KKR said on Thursday. Earlier this month biographer Paula Broadwell finally issued an apology for the first time since her affair with former CIA director David Petraeus was exposed six months ago Still together: David Petraeus stands alongside his wife Holly during his swearing in ceremony as the new CIA Director in September 2011. The couple are still married KKR currently has investments in more than 80 companies operating in 19 countries. Earlier this month, Paula Broadwell finally issued an apology for the first time since her affair with former CIA director David Petraeus was exposed. 'I have remorse for the harm that this has caused, the sadness it has caused my family and other families,' she told her local station WSOC in Charlotte. 'I'm very blessed. Blessed with an awesome family, a wonderful community that's been a great part of my rehabilitation, if you will. 'Even when you've made mistakes in life you can still contribute and pick up the stuff and move on.' Broadwell met Petraeus, 60, while she was a graduate student at Harvard University and working on a dissertation about him. She then wrote his biography called All In: The Education of General David Petraeus, for which she was able to spend large portions of time with him. Out in public: Petraeus worked out on Venice Beach with veterans last month Although Mr. Petraeus is far better known for his accomplishments on foreign battlefields than for his time in classrooms, but he graduated in the top five percent of his class at the United States Military Academy. Mr. Petraeus will be a busy man. Last month it was announced that starting in August he will also serve as a visiting professor of public policy at CUNY's Macaulay Honors College. In March he made a speech at the University of Southern California where he apologized to those he'd hurt with his affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. 'I join you keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago,' he said. 'I know that I can never fully assuage the pain that I inflicted on those closest to me and on a number of others,' Petraeus said, according to news reports. I can, however, try to move forward in a manner that is consistent with the values to which I subscribed before slipping my moorings and, as best as possible, to make amends to those I have hurt and let down He has signaled he's ready to move on: 'One learns after all that life doesn't stop with such a mistake. It can and must go on. Although Petraeus is better known for his accomplishments the battlefield, he graduated in the top five percent of his class at military academy