Five years ago, Glenn Youngkin was a co-chief executive at a major private equity firm, where he repeatedly made the case that diversity and inclusion were good for business.
Now, he is the Republican governor of Virginia, a term-limited conservative who criticizes diversity, equity and inclusion programs and is seen as a potential future candidate for president.
On Sunday, he spoke by phone about his thinking on diversity, President Trump’s tariffs and whether he might be interested in running for president in 2028.
Here are excerpts from the interview, edited and condensed.
When you began as co-chief executive at Carlyle, you were asked by Bloomberg Markets about whether there was a need for more racial and gender diversity. And you said addressing that challenge would be one of your key priorities. Do you still believe that racial and gender diversity are important?
When you are building a world-class talent pool, you have to make sure that you are looking everywhere for it. And in order to do that, you will embrace a diverse work force that is inclusive.
