Frank Stronach

In 1954, a young Austrian tool and die maker immigrated to Canada with nothing more than a suitcase, a few hundred dollars and a dream to build his own business.

His name: Frank Stronach. The company he founded: Magna International Inc., the world’s most diversified supplier of automotive components, modules and systems.

He is also founder and Honorary Chairman of The Stronach Group, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack operator and one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Additionally he is a pioneer in North American organic food farming and distribution.

Frank Stronach founded Magna in 1957 as a one-man tool and die shop in a rented garage.

Through his hard work and entrepreneurial spirit soon his little shop grew.

Magna today employs more than 155,000 people in 312 manufacturing operations and 98 product development and engineering centers in 29 countries. Magna manufactures a wide range of vehicle systems, including: seating systems; closure systems; body and chassis systems; vision systems; electronic systems; exterior systems; powertrain systems; closure and roof systems; as well as complete vehicle engineering and contract manufacturing. Magna had sales in 2015 of US $32.1 billion and is listed and traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada (MG) and the New York Stock Exchange in the US (MGA).

Frank Stronach introduced his unique management philosophy, known as Fair Enterprise, to Magna in 1971. Fair Enterprise is based on a business Charter of Rights that predetermines the annual percentage of profits shared between employees, management, investors and society. These rights are enshrined in a governing Corporate Constitution.

The Stronach Group owns and operates some of the premier racetracks in the US, including Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness; Gulfstream Park, one of Florida’s newest entertainment destination centers featuring a casino and outdoor retail village; Laurel Park; Golden Gate Fields; and Portland Meadows. The Stronach Group is the worldwide leader in wagering technology and a leading global supplier of pari-mutuel systems and services through its AmTote subsidiary, as well as a leading exporter of American horseracing to a global audience. In 2016, the Company created The Pegasus World Cup Invitational, the world’s richest Thoroughbred horse race. The Stronach Group is a key player in the American horse industry, which contributes approximately $40 billion annually to the US economy, generates 1.4 million jobs, and helps with the preservation of green space and agricultural land.

Mr. Stronach is regarded as one of the world’s leading Thoroughbred owners and breeders and has bred and raced more than 225 individual stakes winners over the course of his career. Among his winners are: Awesome Again, the homebred victor in the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic and the richest Canadian-bred in history with earnings in excess of $4.3 million; Ghostzapper, sired by Awesome Again, winner of the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2004 Horse of the Year; Ginger Punch, sired by Awesome Again, winner of the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Distaff and a 2007 Eclipse Award winner; Perfect Sting, 2000 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare turf champion; and Macho Uno, 2000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion. In addition, two of his horses have won Triple Crown races: Red Bullet, winner of the 2000 Preakness Stakes; and Touch Gold (in partnership with Stonerside Stables), winner of the 1997 Belmont Stakes; and three of his horses have won the Queen’s Plate, the oldest continuously run race in North America (Shaman Ghost in 2015; Awesome Again in 1997; and Basqueian in 1994). He has won 12 Eclipse Awards, the highest Thoroughbred horse racing honor in the US, including the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder a record eight times, and the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner on four separate occasions. He has received Canada’s Sovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder nine times and also captured the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Owner nine times.

In 2014, Frank Stronach launched Adena Foods, a food company committed to raising and processing all-natural, premium-quality meats free of hormones and antibiotics. The Company is guided by the philosophy that farm animals should be raised in completely natural surroundings, free from cruelty, pain and stress. The cattle, pigs, chicken and turkey raised at Adena Ranch in Ocala, Florida roam freely outdoors on more than 90,000 acres of spacious pastures, forests and wide-open fields, with fresh spring-fed water and year-round Florida sunshine. The Company plans to open a chain of retail outlets in the US featuring all-natural meats and other healthy, nutritious foods.

Mr. Stronach has served on numerous corporate, government and university boards over the years and has provided assistance to a wide range of charitable and community service organizations.

He is the author of The Magna Man, published in 2012, which tells the story of his life and business career. GotTo “Publications”

Awards & Honors

Honorary Degrees & Titles

Doctor of Philosophy, Honoris Causa from University of Haifa in Haifa, Israel
Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa LL.D. from Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia
Doctor of Commerce, Honoris Causa from St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Doctor of Business Administration, Honoris Causa from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario
Honorary Professorship from the Graz University of Technology in Graz, Austria

Awards & Honors – Business & Philanthropy

1996 – Inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame

1997 – Recipient of the “Business Leader of the Year Award” from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario

1998 – Recipient of “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” from the University of Michigan

1999 – Awarded the Order of Canada for his businesses accomplishments and philanthropic endeavors

2000 – Recipient of the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award”

2002 – Named the 2001 “Canadian International Executive of the Year ” by the Canadian Council for International Business

2002 – Recipient of the Gold Medal for meritorious service from the Republic of Austria

2004 – Recipient of the Yves Landry Foundation “Person of the Year” Award for his achievement in promoting technological education and technical skills training

2005 – Recipient of the B’nai Brith Canada Award of Merit for distinguished humanitarian service

2006 – Inducted into the Canadian Manufacturing Hall of Fame

2010 – Recipient of the Joseph Schumpeter Award for innovative achievements in economics, politics or business

2010 – Recipient of the Grand Decoration of Honor in Gold with Star, one of the highest civilian honors given by the Republic of Austria

2011 – Presented with the T. Patrick Boyle Founder’s Award, the highest honor bestowed by The Fraser Institute in recognition of excellence and accomplishment in the promotion of entrepreneurship, philanthropy and free- market ideas

Awards & Honors – Horse Racing & Breeding

Frank Stronach is one of the world’s leading Thoroughbred owners and breeders and has bred and/or campaigned more than 200 individual stakes winners over the course of his career.

Among his winners are: Awesome Again, the homebred victor in the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic and the richest Canadian-bred in history with earnings in excess of $4.3 million; Ghostzapper, sired by Awesome Again, winner of the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2004 Horse of the Year; Ginger Punch, sired by Awesome Again, winner of the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Distaff and a 2007 Eclipse Award winner; Perfect Sting, 2000 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare turf champion; and Macho Uno, 2000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion. In addition, two of his horses have won Triple Crown races: Red Bullet, winner of the 2000 Preakness Stakes; and Touch Gold (in partnership with Stonerside Stables), winner of the 1997 Belmont Stakes. Three of his horses have won the Queen’s Plate, the oldest continuously run race in North America (Shaman Ghost in 2015; Awesome Again in 1997; and Basqueian in 1994).

He has won 12 Eclipse Awards, the highest Thoroughbred horse racing honor in the US, including the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder, and the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner on four separate occasions. He has received Canada’s Sovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder nine times and also captured the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Owner nine times.