Wikipedia

Frank Baylis

Not to be confused with Frank Bayliss.

Frank Baylis (born November 15, 1962)[2] is a Canadian businessperson and former politician,[3] who was elected to represent the riding of Pierrefonds-Dollard in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election.[4] He did not run for reelection in 2019.[5][6]

Frank Baylis
MP Frank Baylis at his annual BBQ greeting constituents.
Member of Parliament
for Pierrefonds—Dollard
In office
October 19, 2015 – September 11, 2019
Preceded byLysane Blanchette-Lamothe
Succeeded bySameer Zuberi
Personal details
Born (1962-11-15) November 15, 1962 (age 62)[1]
Montreal, Quebec
NationalityCanadian
Political partyLiberal
Alma materUniversity of Waterloo
ProfessionPolitician & Businessman

Baylis is the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baylis Medical Technologies, a medical equipment conception, design, development, production and distribution firm.[7]

Baylis currently lives in the West Island of Montreal and is married with three children.[8]

Early life and education

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Frank Baylis' father, Richard Baylis, immigrated to Canada from the United Kingdom in 1956,[9] and his mother, Gloria Baylis (née Clarke), originally from Barbados, immigrated to Canada in 1952. Frank Baylis has three siblings, Dr. Francoise Baylis, Dr. Peter Baylis, and Dr. Penny Baylis. While initially from the Greater Montreal area, Baylis spent part of his youth living in Toronto before attending university. Baylis holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo.[10] He graduated in 1986 with honours.[11]

Business career

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Before being elected to the House of Commons,[12] Frank Baylis was involved in the business of industrial manufacturing and consulting industry.[13] In more recent years, Baylis has also been involved in the entertainment industry.[14]

Baylis Medical Company Inc.

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Frank Baylis' mother, Gloria Baylis, a nurse by profession, founded Baylis Medical Company in the early 1980s, running the business out of the family home.[15] In 1986 Baylis Medical was incorporated as an importer and distributor of medical devices.[15] Frank Baylis joined the company in 1989[16] to assist with distribution,[17] and served as its president from 1989 to 2015.[16]

From 1990 onwards, the company evolved from a distributor to a developer, manufacturer, and seller of proprietary medical devices[18] with a focus on interventional cardiology and pain management.[19][20] In 2009, Baylis Medical divested its pain management business to Kimberley-Clark Corporation.[21][22] At the end of 2015, Baylis Medical divested its OsteoCool™ RF Ablation System and associated intellectual property to Medtronic.[23] After the sale, Baylis Medical partnered with Medtronic to further innovate the system,[23] and manufactured the OsteoCool™ (now under contract to Medtronic) at its Mississauga Ontario plant.[24]

In the spring of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ventilators for Canadians (V4C), a consortium of Canadian entrepreneurs, posted plans to develop and manufacture "urgently needed ventilators for hospitals across Canada."[25] FTI Professional Grade Inc. was enlisted as the prime contractor to the federal government, "with Baylis Medical engaged as manufacturing subcontractor and V4C supporting the supply chain and manufacturing process".[26] Scrutiny by the media and opposition parties within the Canadian Federal Government raised questions about conflict of interest in granting the contract to a consortium that subcontracted much of the work involved to a company co-owned by a former member of parliament.[27][28][29][30][31] On November 27, 2020, the case was discussed by the House of Commons of Canada Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner found that: "As a former member of Parliament, [Mr. Baylis] is no longer subject to the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons" and that "the contract was not concluded with him."[32] Under Canadian federal law, a "5-year prohibition on lobbying applies to former designated public office holders"[33] [defined in the Lobbying Act, subsection 2(1). On December 4, 2020, Frank Baylis appeared before the same Standing Committee and testified that he had not spoken with the Prime Minister or any cabinet ministers or any members of any political party to "ask them or influence them for a contract".[34]

In October 2021, Baylis Medical agreed to the sale of its cardiovascular medical devices business to Boston Scientific Corporation for US$1.75 billion.[35] The acquisition was completed in February 2022.[36] Concerning the sale, The Globe and Mail reported that "Mr. Baylis, the company's executive chairman, and Kris Shah, its president, co-own the debt-free enterprise, which has never raised outside equity. It's the third time their Montreal-based business has sold a division to a major U.S. company, making them arguably Canada's most successful medical device entrepreneurs."[37]

All told, under Baylis' co-leadership (President, 1989–2015; Executive Chairman, 2015-2022[38]) with partner[20] and former classmate[39] Kris Shah[40] (President, 2015-2022[41]), Baylis Medical has grown to an estimated 874 employees with offices in Montreal, Toronto, Boston, London (UK)[42] and Munich.[43] As of 2023, Baylis Medical Company's annual revenue is estimated at $219.4M USD per year.[44]

Baylis Medical's affiliate, spinoff company, Baylis Medical Technologies, is based in Mississauga Ontario and focused on interventional radiology and neurology.[20] It remains a separate entity and was not part of the transaction with Boston Scientific.[45] Frank Baylis is currently the Executive Chairman of the board of directors at Baylis Med Tech.[46]

OME Group Inc.

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In 1991 Frank Baylis co-founded the OME Group along with Kris Shah.[20] OME Group was a specialized consulting company that provided scientific research and experimental development tax consulting services to businesses across Canada.[47] As the Vice President of OME Group, Baylis oversaw all business activities in the Montreal office from 1991 to 2011. OME Group was sold to Ernst and Young in 2011.[48]

Righteous Films

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Since 2007 Baylis has been a producer with Righteous Films (previously named: The Walk of Fame Entertainment), a video production house "whose mission is to develop and produce entertaining social or environmental films, which will also allow us to discover other cultures or characters from diverse backgrounds."[49] Baylis is credited as a writer, co-producer and actor in the Righteous Pictures "Indy" film, Transit (2008) and also as a writer and executive producer of Generation Wolf (2016). More recently he is the executive producer of Undocumented (Sin papeles), another Righteous Pictures feature film (drama-social) in post-production (as of 2023). It tells the story of an undocumented activist from Mexico who finds that living conditions in America for persons like him are worse than those he fled from back home.[14] The film won the PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS for best "Featured Narrative Film" at the Seattle Latino Film Festival in 2023.[50] In May 2024, Righteous Films with Baylis as an associate producer released a documentary that streamed on CBC Gem called My Friend Omar: The Battle of a Seasonal Worker.[51]

Political career

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On November 18, 2014, Frank Baylis won the nomination race for the Liberal Party of Canada in the riding of Pierrefonds—Dollard.[52]

On October 19, 2015, Baylis won the electoral riding of Pierrefonds-Dollard with 58.7% of the vote.[4] After the election, Baylis joined the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.[53] Baylis was also the Chair of the Canada—United-Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association.[54]

Electoral record

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2015 Canadian federal election: Pierrefonds—Dollard
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Frank Baylis 34,319 58.7 +28.23 –
Conservative Valérie Assouline 11,694 20.0 -6.86 –
New Democratic Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe 9,584 16.4 -17.73 –
Bloc Québécois Natalie Laplante 2,043 3.5 -1.48 –
Green Abraham Weizfeld 865 1.5 -2.06 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 58,505 100.0     $223,427.18
Total rejected ballots 368 – –
Turnout 58,873 69.28 –
Eligible voters 84,978
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +22.98
Source: Elections Canada[55][56]

Awards and honours

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Over the years, Frank Baylis has received various awards and honours for both his business success and his charitable work.

  • In 2024, Baylis was awarded The Harry Jerome Award for business. The awards showcase, recognize, and honour excellence within the African-Canadian community, acknowledging African-Canadian professionals who have had a widespread, positive effect on Canadian society.[57]
  • In 2022 Baylis was a finalist in the Bloom Burton Awards.[58] The awards are bestowed annually to honour "an individual who made the greatest contribution to Canada's innovative healthcare industry in the previous year."[59]
  • In 2022, Baylis Medical in conjunction with Boston Scientific was a nominee for the Best Medical Technology category of the Prix Galien USA Awards for the VersaCross Transseptal Platform.[60] The Prix Galien was created by French journalist and pharmacist Roland Mehl in honour of Galen (French: «Galien»), an ancient Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher considered to be one of the most "accomplished of all medical researchers of antiquity".[61] According to the Galien Foundation, "the Prix Galien USA Awards recognize excellence in biopharmaceutical research [and] development that have significantly improved the human condition."[62]
  • In 2022 Baylis received an Alpha 2022 Business Personalities award from the Saint Laurent • Mont Royal Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie.
  • In 2014, Baylis (along with his business partner Kris Shah) received the Faculty of Engineering Team Alumni Achievement Medal, "in recognition of their significant contributions to the medical technology industry in Canada that have improved the lives of patients globally."[10]
  • In 2012, Baylis' community involvement and commitment to service earned him the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Governor General of Canada David Johnston, in 2012.[63]
  • In 2011, Baylis (again with his partner Kris Shah) received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in health services for Quebec[64] from Ernst and Young.
  • In his youth, Baylis received the Chief Scout's Award (Scouts Canada).[65] The Chief Scout's Award is the highest award given out by Scouts Canada. It recognizes achievements in outdoor skills, leadership, and community service.

References

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  1. ^ "Frank Baylis ready for the Run". Montrealcommunitycontact.com. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Parliament of Canada: Parlinfo: People: Profile: Mr. Frank Baylis, M.P." Parliament of Canada. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  3. ^ Ali, Malak; Chopra, Meera (March 19, 2021). "A discussion with Frank Baylis on Baylis Medical, his career, and Canada's medical device industry". BioTEC. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Lau, Rachel (October 20, 2015). "Liberal Frank Baylis takes Pierrefonds-Dollard riding". Global News. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "Parliament of Canada - Parlinfo - People - Profile - Mr. Frank Baylis, M.P." Parliament of Canada.
  6. ^ Connolly, Amanda (July 7, 2019). "Departing MPs reflect on leaving the Hill: 'It doesn't have to be like that'". Global News. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  7. ^ "Baylis Med Tech - Home". Baylis Medical. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  8. ^ Admin (June 25, 2016). "Frank Baylis". Sync Mag. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  9. ^ Baylis, Françoise (February 21, 2021). "Richard Baylis, 93, was courageous in a quiet gentle way". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Electrical engineering grad elected to Trudeau's Liberal government". University of Waterloo. October 20, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  11. ^ Caldwell, Brian (October 7, 2021). "Engineering alumni make US $1.75-billion sale". University of Waterloo. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  12. ^ "Members of Parliament: Roles – Frank Baylis". Parliament of Canada. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  13. ^ Mian, Imran (2022). "Innovating in a highly regulated industry (podcast interview with Frank Baylis)". Behind the Growth. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Most popular movies and TV shows with Frank Baylis". IMDB. 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Flynn, Karen (May 12, 2023). "Gloria Baylis". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  16. ^ a b "Baylis Medical: About: Frank Baylis". Baylis Medical. 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  17. ^ "Baylis Medical - Our History - Origin story". Baylis Medical. 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  18. ^ "Baylis Medical - Our History - Baylis evolves from distributor to developer". Baylis Medical. 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  19. ^ "History - Baylis Medical". Baylismedical.com. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  20. ^ a b c d "About Frank Baylis and Kris Shah". StarFish Medical. 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  21. ^ "Kimberley-Clark buys Baylis medical pain management business". Medical Product Outsourcing. October 6, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  22. ^ Wohl, Jessica (October 5, 2009). "UPDATE 1-Kimberly-Clark buys Baylis' pain management unit". Reuters. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  23. ^ a b "Medtronic expands pain therapies portfolio with the launch of OsteoCool(TM) RF Ablation System". Medtronic. January 13, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  24. ^ "Medtronic expands pain therapies portfolio with the launch of OsteoCool™ RF Ablation System". NewsWire.ca (CISION). April 27, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  25. ^ Ventilators for Canadians (April 7, 2020). "Ventilators for Canadians partnering with Baylis Medical to manufacture ventilators in support of COVID-19 response". NewsWire.ca (CISION). Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  26. ^ Ventilators for Canadians (June 17, 2020). "Ventilators for Canadians receive Health Canada approval for COVID-19 ventilators". NewsWire.ca (CISION). Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  27. ^ Richer, Jules (October 21, 2020). "Des millions pour un ex-député". Le Journal de Québec. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  28. ^ MacDougall, Andrew (October 22, 2020). "Trudeau embraces the dark side of the parliamentary force". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  29. ^ Sun Media, Anonymous (November 17, 2020). "Anand denies knowing former MP, whose company got $237-million contract: Report". Toronto Sun. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  30. ^ Tumilty, Ryan (December 4, 2020). "Former Liberal MP questioned over ventilator contract at ethics committee". National Post. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  31. ^ Emmanuel, Rachel (December 4, 2020). "Former MP Frank Baylis denies improper lobbying for $237-million contract". iPolitics. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  32. ^ "Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics: Evidence. Number 012. 2nd Session. 43rd Parliament". Evidence. November 27, 2020 – via House of Commons, Government of Canada (www.ourcommons.ca).
  33. ^ "5-year post-employment prohibition on lobbying". Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada. 4 April 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  34. ^ "Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics: Evidence. Number 014. 2nd Session. 43rd Parliament". Evidence. December 4, 2020 – via House of Commons, Government of Canada (www.ourcommons.ca).
  35. ^ "Boston Scientific closes acquisition of Baylis Medical Company Inc". Boston Scientific. February 15, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  36. ^ Boston Scientific 2022 Annual Report. 2023.
  37. ^ Silcoff, Sean (October 6, 2021). "Ex-Liberal MP Frank Baylis scores windfall as Boston Scientific buys his heart device business for US$1.75-billion". The Globe & Mail. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  38. ^ "Frank Baylis".
  39. ^ "Alumni Speaker Series: "Engineering solutions to global health problems"". February 28, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  40. ^ "Baylis Medical: About: Kris Shah". Baylis Medical. 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  41. ^ "Kris Shah". LinkedIn. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  42. ^ Hanna, Elissa (November 24, 2014). "Baylis Medical expands European reach with new office opening in London, UK". Baylis Medical [press release]. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  43. ^ Hanna, Elissa (September 28, 2016). "Baylis Medical expands its presence with a new office in Germany". Baylis Medical [press release]. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  44. ^ "Baylis Medical Company Revenue and Competitors". growjo.com. 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  45. ^ "Boston Scientific Corporation to acquire Baylis Medical Company". NewsWire.ca (CISION). October 6, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  46. ^ "About Baylis Med Tech: Leadership Team". BaylisMedTech.com. 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  47. ^ "OME Group Consultants Inc". Bloomberg.com. 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  48. ^ "Frank Baylis Overview". PitchBook. 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  49. ^ RDVCanada.ca (2023). "The Walk of Fame Entertainment". RDVCanada.ca | Telefilm Canada. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  50. ^ "Instagram".
  51. ^ "My Friend Omar: The Battle of a Seasonal Worker is now available on CBC Gem".
  52. ^ "Businessman Frank Baylis wins federal Liberal nomination". Montrealgazette.com. 25 November 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  53. ^ "INDU - Home". Parl.gc.ca. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  54. ^ "Frank Baylis". Parl.gc.ca. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  55. ^ "Voter Information Service - Who are the candidates in my electoral district?". Elections.ca. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  56. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived August 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  57. ^ "2024 Honourees".
  58. ^ "Three finalists announced for the 2022 Bloom Burton Award". newsfilecorp.com. May 10, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  59. ^ "Three finalists announced for the 2022 Bloom Burton Award". Bloom Burton & Co. May 10, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  60. ^ The Galien Foundation (July 26, 2022). "The Galien Foundation announces 2022 Prix Galien USA nominees in "Best Biotechnology Product," "Best Pharmaceutical Agent" and "Best Medical Technology" categories". CISION - PR Newswire. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  61. ^ Tietz, Tabea (May 17, 2018). "Galenus of Pergamon - The most accomplished physician of antiquity". SciHi Blog: daily blog on science, tech & art in history. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  62. ^ Galien Foundation (October 27, 2022). "About the 2022 Award". Galien Foundation: Prix Galien USA. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  63. ^ "Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)│Recipients│Frank Baylis". The Governor General of Canada. 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  64. ^ Financial Post Staff (October 24, 2011). "Leveraged gold play into mid-tier firm". Financial Post. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  65. ^ Baylis, Frank (February 22, 2017). "Frank Baylis: Statements in the House". openparliament.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
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