After leaving politics, she served as the executive vice-chair of Magna International, Canada's largest automotive parts manufacturer, until December 31, 2010.

[3] In the early 2000s, Stronach was highlighted by the World Economic Forum and by media outlets such as the National Post and Fortune magazine as a promising future leader.

[4] She graduated from Newmarket High School and in 1985 attended York University in Toronto, where she studied business and economics until dropping out after a year to work at Magna.

Stronach received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario in June 2009 for her charity work with Rick Mercer on Spread the Net.

Stronach was a founding member of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council and served on the Ontario Task Force on Productivity, Competitiveness, and Economic Progress.

Additionally, she served as a director of the Yves Landry Foundation,[6] which supports technological education and skills training in the manufacturing sector.

[3] In February 2016, together with business partners Holly Fennell, and Canadian marketing executive Beverley Hammond, Stronach launched Age Quencher Solutions, a line of all-natural beauty products.

[15] The lawsuit alleged that the defendants "mismanaged the family's chief assets and trust funds while forcing her father out of control of the fortune he created";[16] additionally alleging that Belinda Stronach plotted with Ossip in "a series of covert and unlawful actions…that have been contrary to the best interests of, and to the overwhelming detriment of, other members of the Stronach family.

"[16] Belinda Stronach filed a CAN$33 million counter-suit in January 2019, denying the alleged mismanagement and claiming she was protecting the family's funds from her father's investments in "idiosyncratic and often unprofitable projects".

Now a standalone program, One Laptop Per Child Canada[22] has delivered education technology to 9,000 Aboriginal students in 60+ communities in 9 provinces and 2 territories.

The "Magna Budget" resulted in accusations that the government was trying to avoid the scrutiny of the legislature and was flouting centuries of parliamentary tradition in favour of a PR stunt.

Casting Stronach as an "heiress" with a "coddled career" — to the point of joking comparisons to Paris Hilton— and the attention paid to her physical appearance and personal life, was described by a commentator as patronizing and sexist.

Stronach was generally to the left of her Conservative caucus colleagues, supporting abortion rights, gun control and same-sex marriage.

During her leadership campaign she said the country needed to consider changes to the Medicare system that would respect the principles of the Canada Health Act "as our standard, not our straitjacket".

In May 2005, Stronach suggested publicly that forcing an early election, especially before passing that year's federal budget, was risky and could backfire on the Tories.

The Tories planned to bring down the government by voting against an amendment to the budget that the Liberals had made to gain New Democratic Party (NDP) support.

In a press conference after leaving the party, she said that Harper was not sensitive to the needs of all parts of the country, and was jeopardizing national unity by allying himself with the Bloc Québécois to bring down the government.

"[citation needed] Stronach's move shifted the balance of power in Parliament and allowed Martin's Liberal minority government to survive for the time being.

Some political pundits suggested that shortly after Stronach's defection would have been the ideal time for the Liberals to call the election, as Stephen Harper had lost some of his momentum after narrowly failing to bring down the government.

Considerable media attention was paid to Peter MacKay, MP, and the deputy leader of the Conservative Party, with whom Stronach had a relationship of several months.

Interviewed the day after Stronach's departure from his party, he stated that he had learned of her intention to cross the floor mere hours before the public announcement.

Stronach's move to the Liberal Party and the speed with which she was given a senior-level cabinet position renewed calls from both parliamentarians and the general public for legislation to prevent such "party-hopping."

NDP MP Pat Martin requested an investigation of Stronach, speculating that she had been promised a senior cabinet post in return for her defection.

The Ethics Commissioner of Canada, Bernard Shapiro, refused to investigate her floor-crossing, citing that it was a constitutional right of a prime minister to appoint opposition members to Cabinet.

The Conservatives targeted Stronach for defeat in the 2006 election as part of their larger goal of a breakthrough in Ontario, especially in the Toronto suburbs (popularly known as the 905s).

The National Post used the front-page headline "Blonde Bombshell", and political cartoonists made reference to Stronach prostituting herself to the Liberal party.

She had defeated Lois Brown in the Conservative nomination election and barely won her seat in an extremely tight race against Martha Hall Findlay.

At one point in the show, she remarked "You know, I recommended to Stephen [Harper] once that to rise in his polls he should take a little Viagra but the pill got stuck in his throat and all he got was a stiff neck.

Several Liberal Party officials had also warned that they would enforce the new rules, which placed limits on donations and spending by contenders, which would have nullified Stronach's largest advantage over other potential rivals.

[51] Stronach further cited her wish to spend more time with her growing children, and the creation of a personal foundation to end poverty and disease in Africa.