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Luke Johnson runs Risk Capital Partners, a private equity firm and is chairman of the Royal Society of Arts. He is the author of ‘Start It Up: Why Running Your Own Business is Easier Than You Think’ (Penguin)
He studied medicine at Oxford and subsequently joined investment bank Kleinwort Benson as an analyst. In 1992 he organised the acquisition of PizzaExpress and floated the business on the stock market at 40p.
He was chairman of this business until 1999, at which time the share price was over 800p and the business had a market capitalisation of over £500m.
He sits on the board of Interquest, Superbrands, Giraffe, GRA, Seafood Holdings, Patisserie Valerie and APT Controls. Previously he was Chairman of Signature Restaurants and a Director of IDH. He is the former chairman of Channel 4 Television Corporation. - -
Setbacks that lead to success
Too many people who think about launching a start-up don’t take the plunge because they suffer from an irrational fear of failure, writes Luke Johnson
Stop demonising the wealth creators
If societies want to stimulate enterprise, they need to applaud risk-takers and cheer on positive role models, writes Luke Johnson
Don’t shoot the private equity messenger
Many of the onslaughts against the buy-out barons stem from envy or are politically motivated, writes Luke Johnson
Spotting winners is not always rational
Judging risk is as much an art as a science, and external influences will often decide whether a venture succeeds or fails, writes Luke Johnson
There’s no sense clinging to a golden age
The duty of the successful entrepreneur is to evolve in tandem with dynamic capitalism and not mourn past glories, writes Luke Johnson
Ten pieces of advice that should be ignored
I have received some very poor guidance over the years from various sources. Here are my greatest – or worst – hits, writes Luke Johnson
A difficult path can lead to greater success
Many successful entrepreneurs have found that apparent disadvantages have turned out to be assets, writes
University shake-out will benefit us all
The best experience during his three years at Oxford was starting a business, which had nothing to do with his physiology degree, says
The west has its work cut out on jobs
When lawmakers pass legislation the primary focus should be on ways to stem the brain drain and boost opportunities for work, writes Luke Johnson
Creative destruction is a sign of progress
There are many positives for business and investors springing out of these difficult times, writes
