Belinda Stronach

Belinda Caroline Stronach was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, the daughter of Magna International founder and chairman Frank Stronach. She graduated from Newmarket High School and attended York University in 1985, where she studied business and economics, but dropped out after one year to work at Magna. She speaks English and German fluently. Belinda was a member of the board of directors of Magna from 1988 until 2004. She became vice-president in 1999, until her appointment as president and chief executive officer. She has chaired the boards of Decoma International Inc., Tesma International Inc., and Intier Automotive Inc., all in the auto parts sector. She was a founding member of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council and served on the Ontario Task Force on Productivity, Competitiveness and Economic Progress. She is a director of the Yves Landy Foundation, which furthers technological education and skills training in the manufacturing sector. In February 2001, she was appointed chief executive officer of Magna, succeeding Donald J. Walker (who became CEO of Magna spinoff Intier Automotive Inc.), and in January 2002, she also became its president. While CEO, the company added 3,000 jobs in Canada, 1,000 of them being in the Newmarket-Aurora area she would later represent in Parliament. Under Stronach's leadership, Magna had record sales and profits each year. Belinda is a Canadian businesswoman, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals. From May 17, 2005 to February 6, 2006 she was the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal in the government of Paul Martin. According to Canadian protocol, as a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, she is styled The Honourable Belinda Stronach. After leaving politics, she served as executive vice-chairman of Magna International, Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer until December 31, 2010, and chair of The Belinda Stronach Foundation, a charitable organization she founded in 2008 to provide educational opportunities for young women and aboriginal youth, and to improve the lives of young people in developing nations. She is also the Co-founder and Honorary Chair of Belinda's Place, York Region's first homeless women's shelter and serves on the boards of numerous national and international nonprofit organizations dedicated to finding innovative solutions to the challenges of poverty. In 2002, she was ranked #2 by Fortune Magazine in its annual list of the world's most powerful women in business, and named one of Canada's "Top 40 under 40," an annual awards competition that honours the country's top business innovators less than 40 years of age. In 2004, TIME Magazine ranked as one the world's 100 most influential people. In 2005, the World Economic Forum named her a member of its network of global young leaders. Her accomplishments and years in public life were chronicled in the book, Belinda: The Political and Private Life of Belinda Stronach, by journalist Don Martin.