A creative force and a gentle giant
Tim Launder, general manager of World of WearableArt: b Malacca, Malaysia, April 13, 1966, d Wellington, October 14, 2015, aged 49.
TIM LAUNDER had a head for business and a heart for all things geeky. The ‘‘gentle giant’’ managed to marry the two talents in his last two positions at Weta Workshop and World of WearableArt.
WOW founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff described Launder, who became general manager last year, as a fair, humble and honest man.
‘‘He would question everything. What he had to say would firstly be very well considered and his viewpoint would always be what was best for the business and never about what was personally best for him.
‘‘He was all about the goal of achieving the very best for WOW commercially and creatively. He was passionate about driving to be the very best we could be.
‘‘That’s his legacy and one we will all treasure.’’
Launder empowered his staff and gave them the confidence to take control of each of their areas, she says.
‘‘Tim brought the best out in people. He had an infectious, witty sense of humour. Many a long board meeting was had when we were focused on the task when Tim would say something in his unassuming manner and have us all lose focus for a moment and laugh.
‘‘A true gentleman, a gentle giant, we will all miss him.’’
Launder had come to WOW from Weta Workshop, where he was general manager of Weta Ltd for six years.
He headed the consumer products company, which handled the tourism and fans’ visits to the workshop from around the world.
Under Launder’s leadership, Weta Workshop established its range of film collectibles.
Weta co-founder and codirector Sir Richard Taylor says Launder had all the right attributes for the job, a good business head, corporate nous but, most importantly, a high ‘geek’ factor.
‘‘Tim came from a corporate background, but on meeting him that first time we realised he had the most critical talent for the job – the geek factor.
‘‘Tim was a terrifically positive influence. It was impossible not to get swept up in his absolute enthusiasm and love for everything ‘geek’. It was a wonderful thing to see.
‘‘He really hit it off with the guys on the [Weta Workshop] floor who would spend the evenings model-making and watching Thunderbirds. He just really got it. He was like a big kid.’’
LAUNDER was a huge advocate for film fans and enthusiasts. He had a clever business head and an acute ability to think like a fan, Taylor says.
‘‘Fans can spot a faker from a mile off but Tim was someone of such sincerity.
‘‘He embraced the fans and all they stood for. He had a deft touch about him and made everyone feel like their fandom was very much appreciated.
‘‘He had a willingness to embrace anyone and everyone in the process of creating a unique and wonderful thing, carrying that out of the workplace and into the fan space.’’
Launder was tall in stature, Taylor says.
‘‘Because of that you would think he would have a dominating presence but he was a gentle and quiet individual. He was always cheerful and gentlemanly.’’
He sacrificed a lot to do the job, moving to Wellington to work through the week and returning to his family in Auckland in the weekends.
Tim Launder was born in Malacca, Malaysia. His father was in the New Zealand Army and Launder, with his three siblings, was raised in both Malaysia and New Zealand.
His sister Biddy Sutherland said he was a keen sportsman with a particular interest in cricket, which he played at a senior level.
He graduated from Victoria University with a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration and began his 20-year corporate career with the old Dairy Board as a junior employee, shipping thousands of tonnes of cheese to America from an office in Wellington.
He went on to sell milk products to diverse customers in Japan, Taiwan, Latin America and the Middle East for Fonterra before he went back to his creative side working for Weta.
Launder, who is survived by two teenage children and parents who live in Wellington, was a close friend of the Lord of the Rings fan site TheOneRing.net. In a post after his death from skin cancer, one member paid tribute to the friend of middle-Earth.
‘‘Sailing into the West and hopefully pain free. The collecting world lost a good friend tonight but the world lost a great guy.’’ A Life Story tells of a New Zealander who helped to shape their community. If you know of someone whose life story should be told, email obituaries@dompost.co.nz.
Tim brought the best out in people. He had an infectious, witty sense of humour.
Dame Suzie Moncrieff