Tim Traverse-Healy: welcoming, supportive, wise and loyal

I first met Tim professionally in the early 1990s, when I had been appointed – at a ridiculously young age – as director of corporate affairs at NatWest, then the largest bank in the country. Tim had been a long-standing and much-valued adviser to the NatWest board over many years and had been through some turbulent times with the bank.

He could easily have treated me as a young upstart who didn’t know much about public relations. Instead, he was welcoming, supportive, wise, and – above all – loyal. I really valued his advice which was given freely and generously.

I learned a huge amount from him, both personally and professionally. He was the first person I had ever seen deliver a brilliant, bravura speech without a single note. That made a huge impression on me and made me determined to master the same skill but I have struggled to achieve his level of impact. He was also a strong supporter of the need for harmonious relationships between in-house teams and consultancy advisers – something he exemplified himself.

As with Sarah Pinch's reflections [Tim Traverse-Healy: a personal tribute to the CIPR founding member], he was always available to me during my CIPR presidential year in 1997, and I am proud to say he voted for me in that election! He introduced me to an Anglo-American dining club, The Philippics, through which I have developed lifelong friendships.

Above all else, he was a great family man – not only a patriarch, but the builder of a very successful family advisory business, which flourished over many years. All his children have excelled in their PR careers, and I am proud to count Kevin as a friend.

The world of PR would be far less respected – and far less colourful – without the lifelong impact of the great Tim Traverse-Healy, who reached the magnificent age of 102. He carried his bat.

Simon Lewis is a communications adviser whose career in public relations has included senior roles at NatWest, Centrica and Vodafone as well as Downing Street director of communications under Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He served as CIPR President in 1997, a year before being appointed as the first communications secretary to The Queen. An Honorary Fellow of the CIPR, Simon co-hosts When It Hits the Fan with David Yelland on Radio 4.