Belinda Stronach
- Actress
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.