Gladu was a professional engineer who worked for Dow Chemical for 21 years, in a variety of roles locally and globally. She then became engineering manager and subsequently the director of engineering at Suncor before taking a consultant role at WorleyParsons. During her career, Gladu was the chair for the Canadian Society of Chemical Engineers locally, and the national director of science and industrial policy for the same organization. She has been on the dean's advisory council for the Faculty of Engineering at Queen's University. In 2016, she sponsored a private member's bill, "An Act providing for the development of a framework on palliative care in Canada" which became law in December 2017. She currently serves as both the Official Opposition's critic for health and as chair of the Standing Committee on Status of Women. Under the previous leadership of Rona Ambrose, Gladu was the Official Opposition critic for science. She was a "vocal adversary" to the Liberals government's plan to legalize cannabis, and read a poem to that effect, urging MPs to "keep our great country safe from all the weed" In the October 2019 election, she was elected for a second term for the Sarnia—Lambton riding. In January 2020, she declared her intention to run in the 2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election. In February 2020, she suggested that the Canadian government should send in the military to end the pipeline protests along railways. In April 2020, Gladu sparked controversy in an interview with Melanie Irwin of Blackburn Radio by promoting a controversial and unproven treatment for COVID-19. At that time, Gladu referred to the treatment of “hydroxychloroquine, with azithromycin and zinc sulphate” as having a “nearly 100 per cent recovery rate”. She then stated her direct quotes were taken out of context and refused further comment on the matter. Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley called Gladu's comments "surprising, disappointing and not reflective of what medical experts in Canada and the United States have been saying."
Awards and Recognition
In 2016, Gladu was honored by Maclean's has the most collegial MP of 2016 due to her "Increasingly known for her pragmatic approach, the rookie MP for Sarnia–Lambton is a loyal Conservative who consistently works across party lines."
