OBITUARY: A leader and mentor who changed the face of financial reporting in SA
Palmer enjoyed huge respect from his staff and the business community. Thus did the FM’s authority develop
On the cusp of his 93rd birthday, as 2017 turned to 2018, legendary FM editor George Palmer died in California. His last conscious moments were spent, as he might have wanted, on a tennis court. While playing, he collapsed with pneumonia of which there’d been no outward symptoms. In writing about him, his teachings resonate: produce an introduction that will lead readers to want more; keep sentences short; don’t use two words when one will do; make it crisp; get quickly to the point; hit hard; be fair ... Basic lessons were integral to making Palmer a great editor and mentor, as those who passed through his hands during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s will readily acknowledge. He led by inspiration, even to an extent by intimidation. Because he meticulously perused the raw copy of journalists – encouraging here and criticising there, showing how to explain relevance and add value – they’d quickly know whether they were meeting the quality standards he demanded for the magazine’s reput...
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