Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor
Rick Wagoner, the former CEO and chairman of General Motors, will be the keynote speaker at VCU’s Spring 2026 Commencement ceremony.
Spring commencement is one of VCU’s largest events of the year. The Spring 2026 ceremony will celebrate thousands of graduates at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on May 9.
Past keynote speakers include Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor, former VCU basketball star and NFL player Mo Alie-Cox and former Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Around 100 students walked out of Youngkin’s 2024 keynote speech in protest, according to a previous report by The CT.
Wagoner was raised in the Richmond area and graduated from J.R. Tucker High School. He spent 32 years at automotive manufacturing giant General Motors, and was the youngest CEO in company history, according to VCU.
Wagoner resigned from General Motors in 2009 at the request of the Obama administration, according to Politico. It was during the automotive industry crisis and the Great Recession.
General Motors lost billions of dollars under Wagoner. His resignation was a condition for the company to receive massive bailouts from the government. He left the company with over $10 million in benefits.
Since stepping down, Wagoner has become the leader of investment management company Invesco. He has held roles at a number of investment, auto and tech companies.
Wagoner served on the VCU Board of Visitors from 2013-2020. He and his wife have been major drivers for donations at the university — helping to raise over $2 billion between the Make It Real and Unlocking Potential campaigns.
The Wagoners have supported schools and programs across VCU’s Monroe Park and MCV campuses, including creating the Wagoner Family Endowed Scholarship in the School of Business.
VCU’s university-wide commencement will be held at 10 a.m. on May 9 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The event will be livestreamed at www.vcu.edu.