Après TFS - Yvan Baker '96

YVAN BAKER: When I graduated from TFS, I hoped to pursue a career in business, so I completed a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University. After graduating, I joined Scotiabank as a commercial banker, a role I held for three years. My job was to be the link between the bank and mid-sized to large businesses, working with companies generating between $10 million and $100 million a year, in revenue. Essentially, I was their banker, ensuring they had the financial services they needed.

As I was pursuing my business career and advancing in the world of finance, I crossed paths with someone I knew who was running for political office—his name was Borys. I decided to volunteer for his campaign, and he ended up getting elected as a Member of Parliament. One day after he got elected, he called me up and said, “Yvan, I've got a deal you can't refuse. I want you to come work for me. You're going to work harder than you do now and you're going to make less money, but we're going to make a difference together.” That was the pitch and I accepted it! So, I left the bank and worked with him in Etobicoke for two years.

After that experience, I decided to continue with my business career and I applied to do an MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. It was a wonderful experience that led me to work as a management consultant for a company called Boston Consulting Group, where I divided my time between New York and Toronto. Later, I started my own consulting practice, which I ran for two years.

At that point in time, an opportunity came up to run for provincial office and I decided to pursue it. I left my consulting work, ran for provincial office, got elected as a Member of the Provincial Parliament, and did that for four years. After losing the election in 2018, I planned to return to consulting, but when a federal opening came up after Borys left politics, I ran again and was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2019. And that’s where I am now.

YVAN: For me, there's no such thing as a typical day, which is one of the things I like about my work. There are many different components to my job. My first priority is serving my constituents. I represent around 120,000 people in Etobicoke Centre. My team and I focus on helping them resolve issues with the government and supplementing the services they receive. 

My job is also to be their advocate. I want to understand people’s priorities and concerns, try to solve those problems and then persuade the Prime Minister and others in government to take the necessary actions to address pertinent issues. That could be anything ranging from how we deal with Donald Trump's threats against Canada, to defense spending, to the war in Ukraine, to transit funding, to healthcare funding and policy, et cetera. I spend a lot of my time fighting for the changes we need to make our country better.

The third piece, which comes in peaks and valleys, is running for re-election. It’s not exactly part of the job, but it’s the process to get the job and you have to do it every few years. That takes up a larger share of my time as we get closer to election time like we are now. 

So, in terms of typical days, I often have constituency days, where I’m in Etobicoke meeting with residents, listening to their concerns, attending events, and knocking on doors to check in. On those days, my focus is staying connected and being available to help. Other days, I’m in Ottawa, where my role shifts to a legislative function. I help write and vote on laws, and much of my time is spent persuading decision-makers to take actions that improve lives in Etobicoke Centre and across Canada.

TFS: What gives you the most satisfaction in your work?

YVAN: I think what gives me the most satisfaction is succeeding in making a positive difference in people’s lives. In a democracy, to get things done, you have to persuade a lot of people and that can be difficult. I fight a lot of battles, and I advocate for a lot of ideas that I think will be good for people. I don't win every battle, but I will say that when you can persuade people to do the right thing and it touches hundreds of thousands of lives, that's the best part of the job. It’s really rewarding because that’s why I’m here– to make people's lives better. To me, that should be the primary motivation of anybody who's running for public office at any level. 

YVAN: TFS instilled in me a really strong work ethic. A high bar was set in academics that taught me how to think critically, reason through problems, and always aim to do things well. That mindset has helped me in all facets of life, from my career to my personal life.

Equally important, TFS fosters a tight-knit community where working together is key. The engagement of teachers, staff, parents, and alumni taught me how to work with others to achieve goals. In any field, but especially politics, success relies on your ability to persuade and collaborate effectively.

Years ago, when I was in business school, we had a town hall with Jeff Immelt, the CEO of General Electric at the time. He was sharp, prepared for every question—and then one question made him pause. When asked what he got out of his MBA, he said that in the years after graduation, you won’t remember most of what you learned in accounting, finance, or marketing, but the real value of an MBA is the confidence to take a swing—to take risks and pursue your dreams. That stuck with me, and I think TFS is similar in that way. When I got to university, it wasn’t just about knowledge. I had the work ethic, discipline, and teamwork skills that gave me the confidence to push myself further. TFS set me on a trajectory, opening doors to opportunities and experiences that shaped my career.

YVAN: French has greatly impacted my career. I don't have Francophone heritage, but my family really wanted me to learn French. Because we live in a bilingual country, they felt I should know both official languages. I started at TFS on the West Campus, then known as the Mississauga Branch. For high school, I commuted every day to the Toronto Campus, which was a big investment of time, but one we made because we valued the TFS education and learning French. That language ability has been essential in helping me accomplish much of the work that I do today. 

When you're trying to get things done as an MP, you need to work with other MPs of different parties in different parts of the country and a lot of them are Francophone. So, being able to communicate in French is crucial.

As an MP, my primary focus is my constituents, but I’m also advocating for what’s best for the country. To do that effectively, I need to understand the concerns and priorities of Canadians from all backgrounds. Speaking French has been essential in helping me learn, connect and appreciate different perspectives.

YVAN: In this job, skills like collaboration and empathy are essential. When I was at TFS, the school fostered an appreciation for diversity—not just in backgrounds but in perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking. That shaped how I see the world. As a politician, you don’t impose your views on your community; your community shapes your priorities. Open-mindedness, empathy, and the ability to understand different points of view is critical. TFS also instilled a strong work ethic and a sense of community. Success wasn’t defined by wealth or status but by each person’s own goals—whether that meant financial success, making a difference, or something else entirely. That mindset broadened my understanding of what the future could look like.

YVAN: Graduation was very memorable for me. There were three valedictorians that year and I was one of them which was a great honor. Delivering my speech and seeing my classmates in that moment of joy was a really incredible memory.

Another memorable moment was participating in the verse and prose competition at TFS. Every student had to present something they wrote, and while my first attempt was fine, seeing how my classmates approached it pushed me to invest more effort the next year. I did—and I won. But more than winning, I loved the process: speaking in front of others, presenting an idea, and winning people over. That experience led me to seek out opportunities beyond school, like emceeing events, presenting, and refining my public speaking skills. Looking back, it was a pivotal moment that helped shape my path to politics.

 

YVAN: I would say to savor every moment and learn as much as you can—not just from your classes, but also from your classmates and teachers in every experience. It’s too soon to map out your entire future, even people my age are still figuring things out. The best advice I can give is to engage fully in school life, both academically and beyond. Some of the things that seem unimportant now may turn out to be the most valuable later on.

YVAN: I’m truly honoured, especially knowing how many impressive TFS alumni there are. Some are close friends I still speak with regularly, while others I’ve read about, learned from, or crossed paths with over the years. To be recognized among them is incredibly meaningful. It also comes with a sense of responsibility—to live up to the standard this recognition represents and to continue embodying the values that TFS instilled in me.

YVAN: First, I’d say this kind of recognition means more to the recipients than most of us realize. In my case, I’ll always be grateful to my classmate Jonathan Eisler for submitting my nomination—it meant more to me than I ever expected. It wasn’t just the time he took to do it, but the fact that he saw value in my work and felt it was important, even though we don’t see each other often. That meant a lot.

Second, these nominations matter because they encourage people to keep doing meaningful work. When you put good into the world, it has a way of coming back around. Recognizing someone’s contributions not only validates their efforts but also inspires them to keep making a difference. Good comes to those who do good.