Lukie holds a Masters degree in Sociology. He trained as a social development planner, and in a different lifetime he was a lecturer in Sociology at a major university in South Africa. He managed his own diversified farming operation for 10 years before moving to Canada as a consultant in 1996. In South Africa he grew drip irrigated potatoes under contract for several processing companies, including McCain, Frito-Lay and Heinz. He has experience in potato consulting projects for clients in several countries world wide.

Lukie has a keen interest in global potato industry matters and modern information technology. Currently he provides information services as president of his consulting business, Global Potato Focus Inc. He launched the first version of Global Potato News in 1997, and ever since acted as content manager of the site, sponsored since 2000 by Syngenta. The site includes potato related information provided in 5 European languages.

Global Potato Focus is responsible for other information services to the international potato industry, including a monthly international potato e-newsletter entitled PotatoReporter Online, aimed at the European potato industry. Lukie is the Co-Editor of the World Catalogue of Potato Varieties, containing more than 4,000 commercial potato variety descriptions, published in 4 languages by the AgriMedia publishing group in Germany. He is the editor of Potato Storage International magazine published by Crier Media Group in the UK, and acted as Chairperson for the 2005 and 2006 International Potato Storage Conventions. He is a columnist for Spud Smart magazine, distributed to several thousand readers in North America.

Lukie was recently appointed Manager: Potato Development for The Little Potato Company in Alberta, Canada - tasked with developing new potato varieties, technologies and cultivation practices.

Global Potato Focus Inc now represents the Martin Lishman range of potato quality products.