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Former General Motors CEO to be VCU’s commencement speaker
Rick Wagoner to address graduating class on May 9
Josh Janney //April 10, 2026//
Rick Wagoner. Photo courtesy Virginia Commonwealth University.
Rick Wagoner. Photo courtesy Virginia Commonwealth University.
Former General Motors CEO to be VCU’s commencement speaker
Rick Wagoner to address graduating class on May 9
Josh Janney //April 10, 2026//
Former General Motors CEO and Chairman Rick Wagoner will be the keynote speaker at Virginia Commonwealth University‘s commencement ceremony on May 9, the university announced this week.
Wagoner, who grew up in the Richmond area and graduated from J.R. Tucker High School, spent more than three decades at Detroit-based General Motors. He served as the company’s president and CEO from 2000 to 2003 and as chairman and CEO from 2003 until his departure in 2009.
He previously held leadership roles with the company in North America, Europe and Brazil, including president of North American operations and chief financial officer. He stepped down in 2009 at the request of the Obama administration during the federal government’s restructuring of the automaker.
Wagoner chairs the board of global investment firm Invesco and is an executive partner at private equity firm Emerald Lake Capital Management. He serves on several additional boards, including that of Arlington County-based Graham Holdings.
A past member of the VCU Board of Visitors, Wagoner has been involved in philanthropic efforts at VCU alongside his wife, Kathy. According to the university, their work on the steering committee for the Make It Real Campaign for VCU helped the initiative raise nearly $850 million by the time it closed in 2020. They also created the Wagoner Family Endowed Scholarship in the School of Business.
Currently, the Wagoners serve on the cabinet for the $1.8 billion Unlocking Potential campaign, the largest fundraising effort ever undertaken by VCU and VCU Health. The campaign aims to expand student access, advance research and support faculty and health care programs. The university says it kicked off the leadership phase of the campaign on July 1, 2020, during a quiet phase when it raised more than $1.13 billion. The public portion of the campaign launched in September 2025 and will run through June 30, 2030.
VCU’s commencement will be held 10 a.m. May 9 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
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