Nicolas Patard
National Bank of Canada
Managing Director & Head
Financial Products
It was with great pride and real enthusiasm that I accepted Simon Beaulieu’s invitation to act as honorary president of Les éditions Esse’s Vendu–Sold auction.
Over my twenty-six years with the National Bank, I have worked in an environment in which innovation, agility, and the capacity for self-reinvention are essential. This freedom of mind, this aptitude to push back against established systems, is no doubt what instinctively drew me to contemporary art. Artists have a remarkable ability to break through limitations and constraints, to create works that stimulate our eye and transform our comprehension of the world. When we stand in front of an artwork, we are sometimes swept up in a sense of revelation: a sudden amazement, a feeling of discovery and the unexpected. These days, such moments are rare, and yet contemporary art continues to offer them to us by inviting us to slow down, to look, to feel. Art is also deeply democratic, placing us all on the same footing. When we look at a work, our titles and our certainties are wiped away. The only thing that counts is our openness to what is before us. From experts, with their knowledgeable eye, to neophytes, with their curiosity, all of us can find a place of interaction, learning, and growth in art. This equality induced by creativity touches me profoundly. Supporting Vendu–Sold means much more than supporting the individual artists. It means contributing to the influence of our culture and to what defines us as a society. Making our artists shine means bringing out the best in us: the sensibility and vision of the world that make us who we are. It means saying that creation, culture, and ideas have a real value—social, economic, and identity-related. Les éditions Esse plays an essential role in this cultural ecosystem. Through the strength of its analyses and the quality of its publications, it offers a platform that is indispensable to contemporary art. This auction offers a real opportunity to take part in its mission by creating bridges between the business world and the creative community and, especially, by enabling our artists to continue to amaze us.
Finally, I’d like to thank those who introduced me to art and who continue to nourish my curiosity. I invite you to join me and be generous with your support.
Biographical note
Nicolas Patard joined the National Bank of Canada in 2000. Prior to joining the bank, he worked at Bankers Trust and Deutsche Bank. Deeply involved in the business community, he is a member of the National Bank’s art collection acquisition committee and is actively engaged as a mentor to athletes, students, and employees. He has co-founded several major fundraising events, including the Urban Duathlon in support of CHU Sainte-Justine, the 28 Day Challenge for the Jean Lapointe Foundation, and the Father Daughter Ball organized by Fillactive. He also instigated the Impact Package, an initiative designed to strengthen connections between donors and the mission of the Lise Watier Foundation. Married and the father of three children aged twenty-three, twenty-one, and nineteen, he enjoys alpine skiing, ski touring, and road cycling in his spare time.