Sir Alec Reed

Sir Alec Reed

Update: 2025-12-30
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On Wake Up To Money, we talk a lot about jobs, wages and the labour market. And we often hear from the bosses of some of our biggest recruitment firms.

One of those is the Reed Group.

Sir Alec Reed started the company 65 years ago and made it into one of the UK's biggest private businesses. He was knighted for his services to business and charity in 2011.

He'd long stepped down as Chief Executive of Reed by then, handing over the reins to his son, James, in 1997.

Sean Farrington sat down with James to look back on the life of his Dad - and how they navigated being part of the same team at work as well as at home... something that will sound familiar to so many across the country.

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Sir Alec Reed

Sir Alec Reed

BBC Radio 5 Live