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Luke Johnson

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 Luke Johnson

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 Luke Johnson

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 Luke Johnson

Social media help bosses tell their story

It’s hard to make the final exit

Banking is a sector in need of fresh ideas

A guide to shaking off the doom and gloom

Companies close to home need your help

How to sack slackers and end free lunches for layabouts

A new lexicon to celebrate capitalism

Why big businesses are bad for business

We need a Darwinian stance on start-ups

How to avoid choosing the wrong partner