Nick Venning is not just marketing director for PricewaterhouseCoopers' Global Industry Programme. He is also one of Birmingham's foremost champions for corporate charitable giving.
In addition to his role at PwC, Nick found time to play the key role in setting up Thrive, the forum bringing together big businesses in the city to debate and promote the importance of an active corporate social responsibility agenda in business.
Thrive has the active support of The Birmingham Post and Nick is a regular contributor to this newspaper's Thrive page.
Now Nick has picked up an award in recognition of his efforts and achievements. He scooped the Inspiring Leader title at the recent Birmingham Young Professional of the Year awards.
Not only is Nick devoted to encouraging social enterprise within his own business and the business community, but across Birmingham as a whole. He is a leading figure in The Prince's Trust regionally, and is also chairman of St Basil's fundraising committee. St Basil's works with young people in the West Midlands who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
He is an active supporter of St Basil's biggest fundraising event - the annual sleepout. On a wet night in November last year more than 650 people slept out on the street for the night, raising £2,800 for the charity.
Always looking to inspire his fellow professionals in the city, he was also Birmingham Future's first chairman. In fact he was instrumental in the establishment of the organisation in 1993, under its original name of Young City 2000. The lobbying organisation was founded as a network for up-and-coming young managers who would be the business leaders of tomorrow.
He is on record as saying: "I travel all over the world, but I always come back to Birmingham with the impression this city is one of the very best places for young people to develop their careers in professional services."
