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| Wednesday, 9 February 2005 |
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Michael Lloyd Mack - simplicity incarnate Michael Mack who has died aged 72, was drawn early in life to commerce. He joined Aitken Spence at 21 as a trainee executive on leaving St Peter's College in 1953, was appointed a director in 1970 and chairman and managing director in 1991 after which he was recognized as a giant among corporate leaders. He retired from the Board as a non-executive director in 2002; one year short of a half century of service to one institution.
With the departure of the Englishmen from pre-republic Ceylon in the nineteen sixties and the Ceylonisation of the board in 1970, it was headed by Charitha de Silva, Michael Mack was his deputy, and Norman Gunewardene. Shortly afterward Gaurin (GC) Wickremasinghe was added and later, at the same time, Stanley Wickremaratne and Rotti Sivaratnam. Michael's energies and substantial individual contributions, and that of all the others in their respective invaluable ways, succeeded in turning the company into the very significant corporate force it is today. While Aitken Spence was his life, his heart and his soul, his fertile mind, positive attitude, boundless energy, passion for work, and commitment to whatever institutions, committees and trusts he served, and enthusiasm in any project he undertook, contributed hugely to their success. In addition to Aitken Spence these were: Chairman of the DFCC, Commissioner and Chairman of the SEC, Chairman of CASA; a director of the BOI, the Commercial Bank, CF Venture Fund, Lanka Aluminium Industries Limited, Lanka Galvanising Industries Limited, Comark Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and Acme Printing and Packaging Ltd. Trustee of the Geoffrey Bawa Foundation, the Joseph Frazer Hospital and the SAARC Cultural Centre. He was also the Honorary Consul General for Greece in Sri Lanka. Michael's warmth, spirit and intelligence, wit and repartee, made him popular and endeared him to his colleagues and friends. He could brighten lives of subordinates with his smile, compassion and his grace. Apart from his outstanding career he also devoted a great deal of his time to charitable work. A silent benefactor, he helped many causes, individuals in ill health, people and small businesses in trouble. Many were the out of his pocket handouts to ubiquitous claimants of his friendship, old retainees and employees. The range and extent of his benevolence has died with him. His advice was sought by many, from the highest in the land stemming from his acquaintance with Prime Ministers and Presidents, and as a financial advisor to government departments and officials, of both the PA and UNP governments and priests and laymen, which he gave spontaneously at all times be it day or night. He was offered a Deshabandu honour which he declined, as he said, to retain his simplicity and individuality. The private self of Michael Mack was a combination of the superior and the ordinary. It stemmed from his deep knowledge of early European and Middle Eastern (not that it excluded the Americas, Asia and the East) history, culture and living which he acquired from early life reading, and a remarkable retentive memory. An esteemed family of Dutch Burgher lineage, versatile and erudite and borne with post Victorian principles and values contributed to his mental stimulation, rigorous intellect and approach to life. Cultured and languid he could be the upperclass gentleman or the villager and mix easily with either. He was quietly religious, and his integrity unquestionable. Influenced by his brilliant artist/actor/producer/ dance teacher uncle, Arthur Van Langenberg, the arts, music and theatre were second nature to him. His knowledge of Sinhala dance and drumming, Low Country or Kandyan, was extensive and his fascination before the pressure of corporate diversification, strategy and tactics, finance and capital markets, became a stimulating alternative. Using the very close family friendship of Geffrey Bawa, Michael was able to commission and exploit his awesome talents in the building of Neptune Hotel (1973) Triton Hotel (1981) and Kandalama Hotel (1994). Their compatible minds and his restraining arm on the famous architects tendency to look askance at costs for aesthetic enhancements produced these now much admired and financially successful architectural landmarks in Sri Lanka. Every possible tree or shrub on the site was retained in spite of protests from Tour Operators who wanted clear views of the sea. Perhaps this love of nature and the preservation of the mangroves and beach shrub saved the Neptune and Triton hotels from devastation by the tsunami. Michael eschewed sports though he enjoyed watching Club and All-Ceylon rugby of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Instead he had an intense sense of adventure as well as a zest for life. He took his wife and two daughters to remote exotic places; Afghanistan, early Rajastan, Pakistan's North West Frontier, Jordon and little visited Burma, apart from the normal tourist trail. The ancient monuments of Greece, Rome and France were his passion. A favourite was extolling the beauty of the world's most famous stained glass in the Cathedral of Chartres. He loved the outdoor as much as he loved a couch and a book or the London FT or the Economist. Michael knew Sri Lanka like the palm of his hand. An expert on land - he could judge, like a scent, arable from fallow, pastures from patnas, buildable from problematic; and all about life in the jungle. He grew gherkins in Puttalam, exotic fruit for export in Embilipitiya and farmed silk worms to produced silk. Not all were commercial successes. He loved horses, horse racing at Nuwara Eliya, and kept two ponies at home. A quietly private and fascinating hobby he had from youth was owning fighting cocks and fighting them in the days gone by, but later importing and rearing them as domestic pets. Like jungle fowls they still add colour and beauty to his garden. Michael married a little late in life in 1966. He was 34 and having tasted youth it was time to try vintage. Like the tide that shapes the rocks he had mellowed and matured, was ready for higher positions in life and was forever thereafter a loving and devoted husband to his wife Fleur (who he first met and lost his heart to in 1960) and father to his daughters Catherine and Eugenie. One could squeeze only sweetness from those last 38 years of his family life. His ultimate reward was their immeasurable devotion and angelic care during his illness and last days in hospital until sadly death won its mean little victory. His family, relatives and friends lost an incredibly kind, very gentle and wondrously thoughtful person, and the country a fine brain. They told me Heraclitus They told me you were dead. They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed I wept as I remember how often you and I, Had tried the sun with talking and sent him down the sky. From Heraclitus by William Cory. - Norman Gunewardene |
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At
the time of his joining, Aitken Spence was a private limited liability
company owned and managed by an expatriate British board of directors. It
was barely more than an agency company.
