Linda Hasenfratz is a highly respected leader at Linamar Corporation, where she currently serves as Executive Chair following her tenure as Chief Executive Officer, which concluded in August 2024. Throughout her leadership, she has been instrumental in driving Linamar’s global growth, diversification, sustainability initiatives, and operational excellence. Under her direction, the company has strengthened its position as a global, diversified manufacturing leader, with a strong focus on the automotive, access equipment, and harvesting equipment sectors. Her tenure has been defined by strategic initiatives to expand globally, diversify markets and products, embed sustainability across the organization, and enhance operational efficiency.
Beyond her role at Linamar, Hasenfratz has made significant contributions to a number of influential organizations. She has been affiliated with Catalyst Canada since 2003 and currently serves as Chair of its Board of Advisors, reflecting her long-standing commitment to advancing women in business. This commitment spans grassroots efforts to encourage greater participation of women in STEM and leadership roles, as well as senior leadership positions, including serving as the Canadian Chair of the Canada–United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders in 2017.
Hasenfratz’s influence also extends into national and international policy and advisory roles. She was a member of then-Minister Freeland’s NAFTA Advisory Council during the 2018 renegotiations and served as Chair of the North American Competitiveness Council in 2008, underscoring her expertise in international trade and economic policy.
Her extensive board experience includes service on the CIBC Board of Directors from 2004 to 2020, including four years as Chair of the Management Resources and Compensation Committee. She was the first female director on the Forvia (formerly Faurecia) Board, where she served from 2011 to 2021, including four years as Chair of the Compensation Committee. She joined the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) board in 2018, served as Treasurer from 2021 to 2023, and held the position of Chair from 2023 to 2025.
Hasenfratz’s leadership and impact have been widely recognized through numerous honours and awards. She was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Canada in 2014, inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame in 2016, named Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year in 2018, and appointed to the Order of Canada that same year. Internationally, she has been recognized with France’s Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur and Hungary’s Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit. She also served as the 23rd Chancellor of Western University, a term that concluded in June 2023, marking a period of meaningful contribution to both the academic and business communities.
