Yves Martin taught in the Sociology and Anthropology Department of Université Laval from 1956 to 1964. In 1960, he founded the journal titled Recherches sociographiques with a handful of colleagues. From 1962 to1964, he was Secretary of the Association canadienne des anthropologues, psychologues sociaux et sociologues de langue française. Then, in1964, Mr. Martin moved into the public service, where he served as Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministère de l'Éducation in 1966, Deputy Minister of Education in 1969 and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Régie de l'assurance-maladie du Québec in 1973. Two years later, he was named Rector of Université de Sherbrooke, a post he held until 1981, when he became the IRSST’s first Chief Executive Officer. He remained in that position until 1984.