Most philanthropists are complex personalities. Their drive, motivation, foibles and often circuitous road to bequeathing inherited or self-made wealth make for a fascinating study.
Few are ostensibly dichotomous in the way Simon Mordant is.
A chartered accountant with a passion for art; a money man who wants to give it all away; a public-school educated Brit who rejects the British class system; a home counties native who chose to forsake Blighty for Oz.
The apparent dichotomy is likely lost on him because he has a ready and supremely well-articulated rationale for each of the above.
The narrative may have been smoothed through repetition but the story is no less astonishing for that.
Simon was just seven when he was sent to boarding school. Even in 1960s Britain, this would have been considered very young and, while he doesn’t dwell on it, he concedes that it was a “tough environment”. There are well-oiled arguments both for and against the practice, with proponents arguing that building a spirit of independence and a stiff upper lip warrant the loss of family life. Certainly, young Simon was determined to prove to his parents, and to himself, that he could crack it.
There was little by way of art at boarding school where he shared a dorm. The head of the arts department was an influential figure, nonetheless, and encouraged his interest in the subject. At seventeen, Simon bought his first work of art; a drawing from the Royal Academy summer show.
Rather than just hang it on the wall, he took the somewhat unusual step of writing to the artist to ask what had inspired the work.
He attached the written response to the back of the drawing, which remains part of his collection to this day.
So Simon, the budding art collector preceded Simon, the accountant.
The gap year travel is a well-established rite of passage for well-to-do English school leavers.
Simon had never been out of Europe so he decided to see ho far he could go in a year, travelling overland, on his own, through Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.
Arriving in Sydney was life-changing. He recounts it matter-of-factly now but the connection with Australia at the time must have been profound and spiritually liberating. The sense of achievement getting there, enhanced by the hard-wired and easy-going egalitarianism of Australians, underscored the fact that ability does, can, and should trump privilege.
A fervent and practising believer in meritocracy was born there and then.
And then, there was the LIGHT…
At the start of our conversation, I quote back to him one of his own lines: ‘In the UK, I fear that the grey environment might have dampened my creative expression.’
The quality of light in Australia needs to be experienced as it doesn’t quite lend itself to description but, for all I know, he may have meant the above metaphorically, as well as literally. The English class system can be quite stifling for the inquisitive spirit and creative of mind.
Simon Mordant did, of course, return to the UK. For one thing, he had committed to complete his education and for another, he could only settle in Australia if he had a profession qualification.
He returned to Australia several times before finally making the continent his home and by the time he did, he already had countless friends, “a new family” there, and a full support system.
His corporate path is well documented. He has been a part of the investment banking world for decades and co-owns one of the most respected corporate adviser firms in Australasia. Luminis Partners has an exclusive strategic partnership with the global NYSE listed advisory firm Evercore and specialists in strategy, M&A, takeovers, conflict resolution, acquisitions and capital market activities, working with major corporation, governments and institutions.
His journey to place Australia prominently and firmly on the art and culture map of the world is equally well-documented and ties in both with his passion for art and creativity, and with his personal conviction that a man should do all he can to “make a difference in the world during his lifetime.”
The journey started with the realisation that there was no institution dedicated to contemporary art in Australia.
Mordant was fortunate to meet an Australian woman with whom he shares his philosophy of life. He and his wife Catriona, a former ballet costume maker, are one of the most prominent donors to the arts on the continent and beyond.
It was a pledge of $5m from them, along with a like pledge by David Coe, that kickstarted the campaign to re-develop the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.
Photo by Angus Mordant
