Luke Manning
Encyclopedia
Luke Andrew Manning is a British
businessman, journalist
and musician
. He is the co-founder of the independent record label Mostar Records, is the founder of the branding and communications house Rolling Thunder and established the online magazine The Smoke Room. He has been a freelance journalist for publications across the world, including The Times, The Guardian
, The Financial Times and the Moscow News
and has also had work published in The Daily Telegraph
, The Belfast Telegraph
and The Scotsman
.
, Canada
, Manning was brought up near London
. After attending Caterham School
in Surrey
, he went on to study biochemistry
at the University of Warwick
. He currently lives in Surrey with his wife Anita and children Annabel and Finley.
, indie rock
, drum and bass
and funk
.
Bands on the label have included the emerging Irish newcomers The Riot Tapes (who reached #5 in the iTunes Ireland Alternative Chart and #48 on the Ireland Overall Music Chart with their debut single Photograph), cult British alternative outfit LickSpittle (who reached #1 with their second single Lush Hound in the 975 Play FM Top 20 Countdown in Palembang, Indonesia in August 2011), US band Dangerous Idiots and former Queens of the Stone Age
, Stewart Copeland
, Martina Topley-Bird
and Tricky
collaborators The Future Shape of Sound.
, former MP
for Bethnal Green
and Bow, culminating in a feature on the London local elections where Galloway's Respect Party was involved in the hotly contested Tower Hamlets
seat. Allegations of vote rigging before the ballot and Galloway's high profile after his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother pushed the article to prominence in The Guardian
.
Having written promotional material for BBC Presenter René Carayol
and conducted interviews with then Mayor of London
Ken Livingstone
, broadcaster Marcel Theroux
, businessman Duncan Bannatyne
, and Pulitzer
prize-winning author William Taubman
, Manning started up an online magazine and discussion forum called The Smoke Room with Ben Wilding, designed to provide a platform for underground talent in writing, music and photography.
The Smoke Room closed a year later in 2007 after he went on to work full time as Creative Director for René Carayol
, across his Carayol and Inspired Leaders Network (ILN) businesses. Manning's connection with George Galloway
MP
was again evident when the politician became the first guest speaker of the 2007 agenda for ILN.
In 2009/2010 he worked with West Ham chairman David Gold on the re-write of his autobiography Pure Gold, whilst also contributing to the upcoming book on the history of BP
by award-winning Houston Chronicle
reporter Loren Steffy - Drowning in Oil:BP & the Reckless Pursuit of Profit.
In the same period Manning developed the concept of Corporate Insurgency
with Professor David James of Henley Business School
and Paul Kearney, former Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Marines
, during a series of live events across the UK and articles in the Financial Times
and The Economist
Manning established the branding and communications house Rolling Thunder in August 2011..
chairman Allan Leighton, BBC's The Apprentice winner Timothy Campbell
, MOBO
founder Kanya King
, Aquascutum
CEO Kim Winser
and actor Colin Salmon
.
, former chairman of Ofsted
Zenna Atkins, British light-welterweight boxing champion Ashley Theophane
and celebrity chef Patrick Williams. He has also worked with former boxer Mark Prince, after being part of the mentoring team put together by the Sky1 programme Noel's HQto support the Kiyan Prince
Foundation.
In October 2008 he co-presented the "Aspirational Non Celebrity" award with 400m Gold Medallist Christine Ohuruogu
to author Sandy Lewis at the Inspiration Awards For Women. The awards, held at Cadogan Hall
in central London, were organised by the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer
.
Manning also acted as the public speaking agent for Sir Richard Branson's former right-hand man Brad Rosser and former chairman of Ofsted
Zenna Atkins.
Manning appeared in an interview on 'First Issues' on Botswana TV (BTV) in March 2010 to promote a pan-African ILN leadership initiative, followed by a live radio broadcast on 88.7 Sunny FM in Accra
, Ghana
.
Both series featured a mixture of celebrity and expert presenters across different areas of business and personal development. The launch titles included audiobooks by former newsreader Martyn Lewis
, fashion stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones
and ex-footballer Rodney Marsh
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
businessman, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is the co-founder of the independent record label Mostar Records, is the founder of the branding and communications house Rolling Thunder and established the online magazine The Smoke Room. He has been a freelance journalist for publications across the world, including The Times, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Financial Times and the Moscow News
Moscow News
The Moscow News, which began publication in 1930, is Russia’s oldest English-language publication newspaper. Many of its feature articles used to be translated from the now defunct Russian Moskovskiye Novosti.-History:...
and has also had work published in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News & Media.It was first published as the Belfast Evening Telegraph on 1 September 1870 by brothers William and George Baird...
and The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
.
Background
Born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Manning was brought up near London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After attending Caterham School
Caterham School
Caterham School is an independent coeducational day and boarding school in Caterham, Surrey and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.-History:...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, he went on to study biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
at the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
. He currently lives in Surrey with his wife Anita and children Annabel and Finley.
Mostar Records
In January 2011 Manning established the multi-genre record label Mostar Records,featuring artists and genres including electronicaElectronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
.
Bands on the label have included the emerging Irish newcomers The Riot Tapes (who reached #5 in the iTunes Ireland Alternative Chart and #48 on the Ireland Overall Music Chart with their debut single Photograph), cult British alternative outfit LickSpittle (who reached #1 with their second single Lush Hound in the 975 Play FM Top 20 Countdown in Palembang, Indonesia in August 2011), US band Dangerous Idiots and former Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
, Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
, Martina Topley-Bird
Martina Topley-Bird
Martina Topley-Bird is a British vocalist and songwriter who first gained fame as the featured female vocalist on trip hop pioneer Tricky's debut album, Maxinquaye...
and Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
collaborators The Future Shape of Sound.
Rolling Thunder, Journalism and Writing
In 2006 he wrote a series of articles on George GallowayGeorge Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
, former MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
and Bow, culminating in a feature on the London local elections where Galloway's Respect Party was involved in the hotly contested Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
seat. Allegations of vote rigging before the ballot and Galloway's high profile after his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother pushed the article to prominence in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
Having written promotional material for BBC Presenter René Carayol
René Carayol
René Carayol is a broadcaster, broadsheet columnist, business and leadership speaker and author. He recently presented the BBC series Did They Pay Off Their Mortgage in Two Years?.- Background & Career :...
and conducted interviews with then Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, broadcaster Marcel Theroux
Marcel Theroux
Marcel Raymond Theroux is a British novelist and broadcaster. He wrote The Stranger in The Earth and The Confessions of Mycroft Holmes: a paper chase for which he won the Somerset Maugham Award in 2002. His third novel, A Blow to the Heart, was published by Faber in 2006. His fourth, Far North was...
, businessman Duncan Bannatyne
Duncan Bannatyne
Duncan Walker Bannatyne, OBE is a Scottish entrepreneur, philanthropist and author. His business interests include hotels, health clubs, spas, media, TV, stage schools, property and transport. He is most famous for his appearance as a business angel on the BBC programme Dragons' Den...
, and Pulitzer
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
prize-winning author William Taubman
William Taubman
William Chase Taubman is an American political scientist. His biography of Nikita Khrushchev won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 2004 and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography in 2003....
, Manning started up an online magazine and discussion forum called The Smoke Room with Ben Wilding, designed to provide a platform for underground talent in writing, music and photography.
The Smoke Room closed a year later in 2007 after he went on to work full time as Creative Director for René Carayol
René Carayol
René Carayol is a broadcaster, broadsheet columnist, business and leadership speaker and author. He recently presented the BBC series Did They Pay Off Their Mortgage in Two Years?.- Background & Career :...
, across his Carayol and Inspired Leaders Network (ILN) businesses. Manning's connection with George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
was again evident when the politician became the first guest speaker of the 2007 agenda for ILN.
In 2009/2010 he worked with West Ham chairman David Gold on the re-write of his autobiography Pure Gold, whilst also contributing to the upcoming book on the history of BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
by award-winning Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
reporter Loren Steffy - Drowning in Oil:BP & the Reckless Pursuit of Profit.
In the same period Manning developed the concept of Corporate Insurgency
Corporate Insurgency
Corporate Insurgency is the use of unconventional tactics by smaller organisations to increase their market share against larger corporations. Corporate Insurgency techniques are employed by 'new to market' competitors use to make stealth attacks on established larger companies, and are also...
with Professor David James of Henley Business School
Henley Business School
The Henley Business School at the University of Reading is an English triple accredited business school, and the first business school to be established in the United Kingdom. It was formed by merging the previously independent Henley Management College, formerly the Administrative Staff College,...
and Paul Kearney, former Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, during a series of live events across the UK and articles in the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
and The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
Manning established the branding and communications house Rolling Thunder in August 2011..
Inspired Leaders Network
ILN 's former speakers and current members include the Leader of the House Of Lords Rt Hon Baroness Amos, former Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
chairman Allan Leighton, BBC's The Apprentice winner Timothy Campbell
Timothy Campbell
Timothy "Tim" Campbell is an English businessman best known as the winner of the first series of the British version of The Apprentice, a BBC TV reality show in which contestants battle to win a £100,000-a-year job working for businessman Alan Sugar...
, MOBO
Mobo
Mobo can refer to:*Shorthand for the motherboard in computers and other electronic equipment*Shorthand for a mobile [network] operator or MNO *Shorthand for a mobile bohemian, a person who embraces mobile technology...
founder Kanya King
Kanya king
Kanya King MBE is the founder of the MOBO Awards.-Achievements:King is a consultant to a number of Government initiatives for disadvantaged youth including the Home Office Task Force to reduce gun violence...
, Aquascutum
Aquascutum
"Aquascutum" is a UK-based luxury clothing manufacturer and retailer, owned by Jaeger.-Company history:Aquascutum was established in 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition, when tailor and entrepreneur John Emary opened a high quality menswear shop at 46 Regent Street...
CEO Kim Winser
Kim Winser
Kim Winser, OBE is a businesswoman born in Helensburgh, Scotland and educated at Purbrook Grammar School, Hampshire, England. In her childhood, she was a highly talented tennis player, and considered moving to America to pursue the sport before switching over to business where she joined Marks &...
and actor Colin Salmon
Colin Salmon
Colin Salmon is a British actor best known for playing the character Charles Robinson in three James Bond films.-Personal life:...
.
Media profile
As a publicist Manning has worked for BBC newsreader Kate SilvertonKate Silverton
Kate Silverton is an English journalist, currently employed by the BBC.- Early life and education :Silverton was born in Essex, England, the daughter of English parents; Terry Silverton, a black-cab driver turned registered hypnotherapist and Patricia Silverton, who now heads her daughter's...
, former chairman of Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
Zenna Atkins, British light-welterweight boxing champion Ashley Theophane
Ashley Theophane
Ashley Theophane is an English professional boxer who competes in the welterweight division. He is the British and IBO international welterweight champion, he has a record of 28 wins against only 4 defeats and is a regular boxer on both sides of the Atlantic.-Early professional career:Thoephane...
and celebrity chef Patrick Williams. He has also worked with former boxer Mark Prince, after being part of the mentoring team put together by the Sky1 programme Noel's HQto support the Kiyan Prince
Kiyan Prince
Kiyan Prince was a 15 year old British boy who attended the London Academy in Edgware, in the London borough of Barnet. He was fatally stabbed on 18 May 2006, receiving a single lethal knife wound, while intervening to prevent the bullying of another boy...
Foundation.
In October 2008 he co-presented the "Aspirational Non Celebrity" award with 400m Gold Medallist Christine Ohuruogu
Christine Ohuruogu
Christine Ijeoma Ohuruogu MBE is an English athlete, who specialises in the 400 metres; the event for which she is the current Olympic and former World and Commonwealth Champion...
to author Sandy Lewis at the Inspiration Awards For Women. The awards, held at Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall is a 900-seat capacity concert hall on Sloane Terrace in Chelsea / Belgravia in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, United Kingdom...
in central London, were organised by the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a United Kingdom charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research, campaigning and education. Its vision is "to work for a future free from the fear of breast cancer".-History:...
.
Manning also acted as the public speaking agent for Sir Richard Branson's former right-hand man Brad Rosser and former chairman of Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
Zenna Atkins.
Manning appeared in an interview on 'First Issues' on Botswana TV (BTV) in March 2010 to promote a pan-African ILN leadership initiative, followed by a live radio broadcast on 88.7 Sunny FM in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
iTunes
In 2009 Manning launched a series of audiobooks on iTunes with producer and consultant Michelle Loughney, under the Reinvent Yourself and Business Builders brands.Both series featured a mixture of celebrity and expert presenters across different areas of business and personal development. The launch titles included audiobooks by former newsreader Martyn Lewis
Martyn Lewis (journalist)
Martyn Lewis CBE is a British television news presenter and journalist.-Early life:Lewis was born in Swansea, West Glamorgan, though was educated at the co-educational Dalriada School in Northern Ireland and graduated with a BA degree from Trinity College, Dublin. He then joined BBC Northern...
, fashion stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones
Nicky Hambleton-Jones
Nicky Hambleton-Jones is a South African fashion stylist and former television presenter, best known for hosting the Channel 4 makeover show 10 Years Younger.-Biography:...
and ex-footballer Rodney Marsh
Rodney Marsh (footballer)
Rodney William Marsh is an English retired footballer. He was named after HMS Rodney by his father, who served on the battleship. He played for Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City, the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the England national team. Lately, he has been a pundit and a commentator on the...
.