Luke Manning

Luke Andrew Manning (born 3 January 1978) is a British businessman, journalist and musician. He is founder of the digital communications agency Rolling Thunder, CEO of the independent record label Mostar Records and previously 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.

Background
Born in Toronto, Canada, Manning was brought up near London. After attending Caterham School in Surrey, he went on to study biochemistry at the University of Warwick.

Journalism and Writing
In 2006 he wrote a series of articles on George Galloway, 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 conducted subsequent interviews with public figures such as the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and businessman Duncan Bannatyne, Manning started up the (now ceased) online magazine The Smoke Room.

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

Rolling Thunder
Manning is the founder of the UK based digital communications agency Rolling Thunder.

Mostar Records
In January 2011 Manning established the multi-genre record label Mostar Records, featuring artists and genres including electronica, 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 ) and US band Dangerous Idiots.

Also on the label is the British collective The Future Shape of Sound, established by producer Alex McGowan - former collaborator of Queens of the Stone Age, Stewart Copeland, Martina Topley-Bird and Tricky.

Profile
In October 2008 Manning 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 worked with former boxer Mark Prince, after being part of the mentoring team put together by Sky1 programme Noel's HQ to support the Kiyan Prince Foundation.