Various substituted bis-(aryl)manganese species were preparedfrom aryl bromides by one-pot insertion of magnesium turnings in the presence of LiCl and in situ trans-metalation with MnCl2 in THF at −5 °C within 2 h. These bis-(aryl)manganese reagents undergo smooth iron-catalyzed cross-couplings using 10 mol% Fe(acac)3 with various functionalized alkenyl iodides and bromides in 1 h at 25 °C. The aryl-alkenyl