Sir Alec Reed
Wake Up To Money
BBC
4.1 • 775 Ratings
🗓️ 30 December 2025
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:07.5 | It's like going into an ice path with your hands as the ice. |
| 0:10.8 | In 2025, we were here for the entertainment. |
| 0:13.8 | Ellis and John. |
| 0:14.9 | Have you not considered just coffee, which is what I do? |
| 0:17.6 | Sightracked with Annie and Nick. |
| 0:19.4 | Stevie Wonder, welcome. I'm pleasure. Loyal Carnar is with us. Want to hear all about Glastonbury. And Celebrity Traitors Uncloaked. Welcome to Uncloaked, Ireland. Oh, thanks for having me, Ed. The winner. I know, still hasn't sunk in. Get the best of 2025 with podcasts on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:41.1 | Hello, welcome to wake up to money. |
| 0:43.3 | Something a little different to start the show today. |
| 0:48.2 | As we hear about the lessons learned, the bonds formed, the decisions made as family businesses passed down the generations. |
| 0:50.7 | I've been joined by James Reed, Chief Executive of the Reed Group, the recruiters, |
| 0:55.3 | just a few weeks ago. His father and founder of the business, Sir Alec, passed away at the age of |
| 1:01.2 | 91. So James reflects on his life what it's like being part of the legacy of a family business |
| 1:06.5 | and how to decide where it all goes next. |
| 1:09.5 | Wake up to money with Sean Farrington. |
| 1:12.9 | I mean, it's, well, roar in a word. |
| 1:15.7 | I mean, it's always hard to lose such a close family member |
| 1:21.4 | and especially so when it's such a big personality. |
| 1:25.1 | So I've been, I have to say, though, |
| 1:28.0 | sort of overwhelmingly sort of touched, |
| 1:30.2 | and I feel I had great solace, really, |
| 1:33.7 | from all the comments and feedback we've had, |
... |
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