Taylor was quite simply the best of us.
I remember when I was about to join the governance team in GRM (as it was then) back in 2015; I was really excited that so many of my soon-to-be colleagues were from that really smart, interesting, bunch at IDL that had just been acquired by the company. Of course Taylor's reputation in the governance space preceded him, and working with him - and Sam, who was also in the team – always felt like a privilege. I learned so much from Taylor - and continued to do so right up to recent times when he was supporting our work out here in Palladium’s APAC region. As many have said, his intellectual curiosity, energy and passion for his work was evident in all that he did - not for some narrow goal of career advancement or personal glory, but because he genuinely seemed to believe that if we could all work collectively towards 'doing development differently' - constantly challenging ourselves to do better through learning, improving and innovating - then we might contribute to progress on the social and economic justice issues that he cared about so deeply.
Taylor also believed that it was important to bring joy and fun to the table in everything he did. Just a few or my memories of working with Taylor: seeking out the 'special sauce' or the 'kool aid' (so many wonderful Taylor-isms) in a workshop, when developing a proposal or client deliverable; taking an early morning call he made to the London office whilst in Alaska, during which he explained that the noise in the background was a moose who had joined him at the cabin porch where he and the family were staying; benefiting from his teaching, mentoring and sharing of his knowledge – which he gave freely and without ego or condition; or just having lunch or a beer or singing karaoke to take time out from a busy work schedule (as we did often in the Philippines). Time with Taylor was always time well spent, and you'd always come out feeling a little more positive, more optimistic or lighter than you did when you started. He truly made the world a better place, through even the smallest, most everyday interactions.
Many have spoken of how kind and generous he was with his time and knowledge, and what a 'connector' of people he was. He and Sam hosted many of their colleagues at their home, with a warmth and hospitality that always made feel you so welcome; he kept in touch with all of us when we moved to other jobs or locations, often reaching out with thoughtful and considered messages at just the right time - one of his last messages to me was to check in on how I was coping with COVID lock-down in Australia so far from my family and friends in London and Ireland. That - along with the way he always was sharing an interesting article, or blog or podcast or titbit of information that might be useful or though provoking was all part of his generosity of spirit. The fact that some of his last messages to colleagues on the Friday he passed, related to reflections on the Black Lives Matters movement, sharing articles that he thought might stimulate better understanding, seems so very poignant, and illustrative of the person he was.
Taylor may have been taken far too soon, but I hope there will be some comfort for Sam, his family and friends and all who knew and loved him, that whilst here he lived the fullest life possible, in a manner that many of us aspire to, but few achieve.
Farewell dear Taylor - you will be sorely missed, but also will live on in all our memories. Thank you for all that you did for so many of us during your time here.
Taylor was quite simply the best of us.
I remember when I was about to join the governance team in GRM (as it was then) back in 2015; I was really excited that so many of my soon-to-be colleagues were from that really smart, interesting, bunch at IDL that had just been acquired by the company. Of course Taylor's reputation in the governance space preceded him, and working with him - and Sam, who was also in the team – always felt like a privilege. I learned so much from Taylor - and continued to do so right up to recent times when he was supporting our work out here in Palladium’s APAC region. As many have said, his intellectual curiosity, energy and passion for his work was evident in all that he did - not for some narrow goal of career advancement or personal glory, but because he genuinely seemed to believe that if we could all work collectively towards 'doing development differently' - constantly challenging ourselves to do better through learning, improving and innovating - then we might contribute to progress on the social and economic justice issues that he cared about so deeply.
Taylor also believed that it was important to bring joy and fun to the table in everything he did. Just a few or my memories of working with Taylor: seeking out the 'special sauce' or the 'kool aid' (so many wonderful Taylor-isms) in a workshop, when developing a proposal or client deliverable; taking an early morning call he made to the London office whilst in Alaska, during which he explained that the noise in the background was a moose who had joined him at the cabin porch where he and the family were staying; benefiting from his teaching, mentoring and sharing of his knowledge – which he gave freely and without ego or condition; or just having lunch or a beer or singing karaoke to take time out from a busy work schedule (as we did often in the Philippines). Time with Taylor was always time well spent, and you'd always come out feeling a little more positive, more optimistic or lighter than you did when you started. He truly made the world a better place, through even the smallest, most everyday interactions.
Many have spoken of how kind and generous he was with his time and knowledge, and what a 'connector' of people he was. He and Sam hosted many of their colleagues at their home, with a warmth and hospitality that always made feel you so welcome; he kept in touch with all of us when we moved to other jobs or locations, often reaching out with thoughtful and considered messages at just the right time - one of his last messages to me was to check in on how I was coping with COVID lock-down in Australia so far from my family and friends in London and Ireland. That - along with the way he always was sharing an interesting article, or blog or podcast or titbit of information that might be useful or though provoking was all part of his generosity of spirit. The fact that some of his last messages to colleagues on the Friday he passed, related to reflections on the Black Lives Matters movement, sharing articles that he thought might stimulate better understanding, seems so very poignant, and illustrative of the person he was.
Taylor may have been taken far too soon, but I hope there will be some comfort for Sam, his family and friends and all who knew and loved him, that whilst here he lived the fullest life possible, in a manner that many of us aspire to, but few achieve.
Farewell dear Taylor - you will be sorely missed, but also will live on in all our memories. Thank you for all that you did for so many of us during your time here.
