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Luke Johnson is much sought-after as a public keynote speaker or after dinner speaker and is a great choice for entrepreneurial and business events. Luke enjoys the chance to meet entrepreneurs and business leaders in person, and he welcomes enquiries in this regard.
Luke has delivered well-received speeches in many formats, including after-dinner speeches, lunchtime salons, management off-sites, trade events, board briefings, motivational events and public seminars.
Luke’s speeches are always cultured, entertaining and provocative. He speaks passionately about entrepreneurialism and its contribution to the good of society as a whole; he also speaks with conviction about the value of optimism, determination and self-reliance. Luke is equally comfortable talking to sector-specific audiences, particularly those relating to his own interests i.e. the media, the restaurant trade and private equity.
As a leading figure in private equity and the man behind several instantly-recognizable high street brands, Luke is one of the few entrepreneurs who can resonate with one-man-band businesses and readers of the Financial Times alike. As the former chair of Channel 4 and the current chair of the Royal Society of Arts, there can be few after-dinner speakers to equal Luke’s credibility, authority and breadth of experience.
Luke Johnson is the Chairman of Risk Capital Partners Ltd, a private equity house. He is the part owner and Chairman of Superbrands, Giraffe Restaurants, Patisserie Valerie and Baker and Spice. He is a major owner and Director of the market leader in car park equipment, APT Controls.
Luke was Chairman of Channel 4 Television Corporation from January 2004 to January 2010. In that time he appointed a new CEO, restructured the board and saw the organisation enjoy record ratings, revenues and surplus. He also served as Chairman of the trustees of the £150m Channel 4 staff pension plan.
Luke Johnson recently became a strategic investor in Beer & Partners, the UK's largest business investment agency. He is also Chairman of Fast Track, the UK's leading networking events and research company focusing on Britain's top-performing private companies.
Luke writes a weekly column on entrepreneurship for The Financial Times and wrote a weekly column on business matters for The Sunday Telegraph for eight years until 2006.
Luke studied medicine at Oxford University and graduated in 1983. He then worked as a media analyst at stockbroker Grieveson Grant (subsequently Kleinwort Benson Securities).
Luke took control of PizzaExpress with partners in 1993 and subsequently became Chairman. He grew the business from 12 owned restaurants to over 250, and the share price from 40p to over 900p. Luke sold out in 1999 and started Signature Restaurants, which owned The Ivy and Le Caprice, as well as the Belgo chain, selling the business in 2005. He started the Strada restaurant concept from scratch and took the chain to 30 units and sold it in late 2005. The total proceeds from these two disposals were in excess of £90 million.
In the period 1993 to date Luke has been involved as a Director/owner of various quoted companies in retailing, pubs and bars, parcel delivery and maritime commerce, including Whittard of Chelsea, My Kinda Town, Nightfreight and American Port Services.
Luke Johnson has been a principal owner of GRA, the UK's largest greyhound track owner, since early 2005.
He was the principal owner of Mayfair Gaming, the chain of Riva bingo clubs, from 2004. This was sold in 2006 for an IRR of over 40%.
In September 2007, Risk Capital Partners bought Borders, one of the UK's largest bookshop chains with revenues of over £200m. The business was sold in July 2009.
Luke Johnson founded Integrated Dental Holdings with partners in 1996 and grew it to become the largest UK chain of dental surgeries with over 500 dentists. This was sold in 2006 for over £100 million.
He is a co-founder/owner and Director of InterQuest Group plc, a quoted recruitment business. From 2004 to 2006 he was a Director of Dollar Financial Group Inc, a US NASDAQ traded corporation with some $80m EBITDA.
Luke Johnson was appointed Chairman of the Royal Society of Arts in 2008. He was a governor of The University of the Arts London between 2000 and 2006. He is also Chairman of StageOne, a charity in support of new producers of quality commercial theatre in the UK.
Luke is married with three children and lives in London
Luke Johnson Speaker Showreel - Click play to watch a short sample video clip of Luke Johnson. For more information on Luke Johnson please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0) 208 365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk
Outside of appearing and speaking at live corporate and private events Luke Johnson has a number of retail products available that can be purchased through Speakers Corner. For upcoming new book and product launches related to Luke Johnson then please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0) 208 365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk



A selection of relevant news related to Luke Johnson and Business stories. For more information on Luke Johnson or details as to how to book Luke Johnson for your corporate event, then please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0) 20 8365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk
Luke Johnson has spoken and appeared at a number of recent corporate events. Please find some client speaker testimonials and reviews for Luke Johnson for a number of these events and conferences. If you would like some additional information as to how to book Luke Johnson for your corporate event, then please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0) 208 365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk
"Please pass on our thanks to Luke Johnson for giving us such an inspiring talk last night at Chatham House. I think we all felt much better after his words of wisdom. He kept verymuch on the brief that we had given him so we are very pleased with the outcome. Hilary Baxter Director"
"Lukes speech proved to be oneof the major highlights of the day."
"The best element was when we got into the discussion after the formal speech element"
If you are interested in booking Luke Johnson for your live event or require any additional information regarding Luke Johnson then please fill in the enquiry form below and one of the Speakers Corner booking agents will contact you within 24 hours.
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