Obituary: Sir Alec Reed, Founder of Reed Employment and Philanthropist, Dies at 91
Sir Alec Reed (1934-2025) died aged 91 on 2 December 2025. He founded Reed Employment, which grew into one of the UK's largest private businesses. Born in Hounslow, he left school at 16 and established Reed Employment in 1960 with £75. By 1969, the company had expanded to 75 branches and was floated in 1971, with Reed retaining a third of the shares.
He handed over the CEO role to his son James in 1997, remained executive chairman until 2000, became founder at large in 2004, and oversaw Reed's return to private ownership in 2005. The Reed Foundation, holding 18% of the Reed Group, had assets exceeding £25 million in 2023.
Sir Alec was a pioneer in linking business success with philanthropy. He founded and supported several charities including ARC, Reed Restart, Womankind Worldwide, Women at Risk, and Ethiopiaid, which he founded in 1989 with £1 million and helped raise £28 million for its programs. He also pioneered the Big Give charity platform, facilitating connections between wealthy donors and charitable causes. The Christmas Challenge 2024 raised £44.7 million, with a long-term target of £1 billion by 2030.
In education and public service, Sir Alec supported academy schools, helped establish the West London Academy (later renamed Alec Reed Academy), founded the Reed College of Accountancy (later Reed Business School) in 1972, and served on the council of Royal Holloway.
Knighted in 2011 for services to business and charity, Sir Alec was known for his fundraising philosophy and dedication to combining business achievements with philanthropic work. He is survived by his wife Adrianne, whom he married in 1961, their three children James, Richard, and Alexandra, along with 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
