Holcim loses father figure

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 07/18/2009 1:48 PM | Headlines

As president director of PT Holcim Indonesia Tbk, Timothy David Mackay was known to his colleagues as not only a strong leader but as a nurturing father.

Mackay, a New Zealand national, was among those killed in blasts at the Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott hotels in Jakarta on Friday morning. Dozens of others were injured in the country's worst terrorist attacks since 2005.

He was at the hotel for a regular breakfast meeting with other prominent business figures.

Spokesperson for Holcim Indonesia, Budi Primawan, told The Jakarta Post that the company, a domestic subsidiary of the world's second biggest cement maker, was mourning the loss of a leader, a father and a friend.

"Mackay was a very good person, very fatherly. Most people at the office feel a huge loss. We lost a father," Budi said.

Mackay had been president director of the company since May 2004, prior to which he was the managing director of Holcim (Lanka).

Between 1997 and 2001 Mackey was Chief Executive of Basic Industries Ltd. & Fiji Industries Ltd., where he was responsible for raising the profile and profitability of the Pacific island cement industry.

He was a Master Mariner, held an MBA from New Zealand's Massey University and had completed Senior Management Programs with Holcim Ltd.

Holcim New Zealand says it is deeply saddened by the death of Mackay, who worked for Holcim in the early 1990s as shipping manager and as manager of Buller Port Services in Westport.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key expressed his condolences of the losses caused by the tragic incident, saying "this is a very sad day for both New Zealand and Indonesia."

Coordinator of the company's corporate communications, Dedy Nugroho, said Mackay, as a man of vision, successfully made Holcim Indonesia a prominent entity in the domestic cement industry and within its parent company.

"I know him well enough to say that he is a man of full wisdom and patience. He's respected by all the employees because he was close to them," Dedy said.

Friends and families gathered at Dharmais Mortuary Friday afternoon to pay their respects. His body is expected to be flown to New Zealand on Sunday.

Mackay was born on April 22, 1948, in Sunderland, New Zealand.