Bill Conway

Co-Founder & Co-Chairman of the Board, Carlyle

Search every verified Bill Conway interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Bill Conway, a co-founder of the Carlyle Group and an alderman for Chicago's 34th Ward, has been active in both philanthropy and local politics. In late 2024, Conway commented on the corruption conviction of former Alderman Ed Burke, stating that "you can't do a public act in exchange for a private benefit, period," and expressed hope that the verdict would "usher in a new era of ethical behavior" at City Hall. Earlier in 2024, he accepted a "Corporate Champion of the Year" award on behalf of Carlyle from SOME, a Washington D.C. nonprofit, saying he was "very greatly impressed" by the organization's work surrounding clients with jobs, food, housing, and health care, and that he wanted to support it "every way I could." Conway has also spoken about his personal and professional history. In a December 2024 podcast interview, he discussed growing up as the middle child of 13 children in Cleveland during the Great Depression, his ambition to be captain of the Yale football team, and his later career in mining and business. He described his current driving purpose as asking, "What can I do today to make things better for my family, for my community, for the world?" In a 2020 commencement speech, he encouraged graduates to consider their own mission, stating, "What are you going to do with your good fortune in your degree?" and noted that the Conway nursing scholarship program had awarded over 3,000 scholarships with a goal of 10,000.