For our third and final interview this season we ventured deep into the heart of Canary Wharf for our only IRL meet up of the series, to the tech hub on level 39 of the iconic, pyramid-topped number 1 Canada Square. There we caught up with Tony Colville, MD of The Cancer Awareness Trust to hear more about one of the most unusual career arcs in the non-profit sector you’re ever likely to come across.
Hailing from Birmingham, Tony has always been one of those people that effortlessly seems to keep a lot of plates spinning. Starting his career in Local Authority leisure services, whilst juggling studies and significant caring responsibilities, Tony’s talent for developing, inspiring and connecting saw him move into the voluntary sector, riding that wave of social entrepreneurship that swept the UK in the early 2010s.
At that point however his career took quite the turn, as he found himself becoming something of an architect-fixer for a succession of high-profile, highly ambitious philanthropists. In a space that didn’t previously exist, Tony became the go-to guy to ignite and launch your new social purpose initiative.
Doing their best not to fixate exclusively on the many household names that populate Tony’s CV, the conversation takes a more nuanced turn towards the dynamics of working for powerful people with big egos, the real meaning of work-life balance and the underlying nature of doing good.
“It’s not a career” is how Tony describes it, but it is a hell of a story about building your own path, and a fitting way to conclude our S1 interviews. Join us next week for our season closer as we return to the start, to catch up with Simon and Gethyn on their own progress.
